McVay Targets Garrett's Return From Injured Reserve This Week
Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay said Friday the team expects to activate edge rusher Myles Garrett from injured reserve for Sunday's Week 9 road game against the Washington Commanders, "barring any sort of setbacks." Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET on FOX.
Garrett has been sidelined since suffering a knee injury in Week 1 that required arthroscopic surgery. The Rams went 4-3 without him and currently sit at 4-4 on the season. Los Angeles acquired Garrett from the Cleveland Browns in June in a trade that sent defensive end Jared Verse, a 2024 first-round pick, back to Cleveland along with a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick and a 2029 third-round pick. sports bet netball
Garrett enters the lineup with the Rams' defense already performing well against the pass and overall, ranking fourth in the NFL in opponent passing yards per game (191.9), fifth in opponent total yards per game (301.1), 12th in opponent points per game (21.0) and 14th in opponent rushing yards per game (109.3). The pass rush has lagged, however, with Los Angeles tied for 26th in the league with 12.0 sacks - an area Garrett is expected to address immediately. A five-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler, Garrett set the NFL single-season sack record with 23 last year for Cleveland, adding three forced fumbles, a league-high 33 tackles for loss and 60 combined tackles. He won NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2023 and again this year, and over nine seasons with the Browns (2017-25) he averaged 13.9 sacks and 2.6 forced fumbles per year, leading the league in tackles for loss in each of his final two seasons in Cleveland.
The Rams also confirmed cornerback Jaylen Watson has been placed on season-ending injured reserve after a shoulder injury that will require surgery. With Garrett's activation pending final clearance, his potential debut in Washington would mark the first game of his Rams tenure and give Los Angeles a significant boost to its pass rush as the team looks to build momentum in the second half of the season.
