The Los Angeles Rams’ star defensive end will undergo arthroscopic knee surgery and be placed on injured reserve, according to multiple NFL insiders including ESPN’s Adam Schefter, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and The Ringer’s Tom Pelissero. The move means Garrett, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, will miss a minimum of four games, with his earliest possible return coming in Week 6 against the Arizona Cardinals. According to The Athletic’s reporting, the Rams are hoping the absence stays at that four game minimum rather than stretching longer.
How did this knee issue start?
It dates back to training camp. Garrett was limited for much of the offseason while managing what head coach Sean McVay described as swelling in his knee, and he fully participated in practice only twice all summer. Reports describe the underlying issue as lower leg pain rather than a single acute injury. Garrett himself has declined to specify which knee is affected, though he wore a sleeve on his left leg during several practices this preseason.
Did Garrett actually play through this in Week 1?
Yes, and it clearly affected him. Garrett played in the Rams’ season opening 27-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia, but failed to record a single tackle, sack or quarterback hit, marking his first tackle-less game since Week 11 of the 2024 season and only the fourth of his career, according to ESPN Research.
Afterward, Garrett described his own performance as the worst version of himself he has ever put on the field, acknowledging his knee was not fully healthy going into the game. He said he needs to find a way to recover and return to the level of play he has shown before, and admitted that on the field he had been more focused on protecting himself physically than on what the 49ers were actually doing, adding that the difference showed and that he had not been who his team needed him to be.
Why does this matter so much for the Rams specifically?
Because of what Los Angeles gave up to acquire him. The Rams traded two time Pro Bowl pass rusher Jared Verse along with three draft picks, including a 2027 first round selection, to the Cleveland Browns to land Garrett this past offseason, a package that reflected how central he was expected to be to their championship plans. Garrett set the single season sack record last year with 23 sacks in Cleveland, and his arrival was also part of why longtime Rams star Aaron Donald came out of retirement to rejoin the team for another season.
Is Aaron Donald available either?
Not yet. Donald did not suit up for the Week 1 loss to the 49ers, meaning the Rams have still not fielded their two biggest defensive additions together in a single game. With Garrett now sidelined for at least a month, that debut will not happen before Week 6 at the earliest, if Donald is healthy and Garrett is activated on schedule.
What games will the Rams play without him?
Four difficult ones. Los Angeles faces the New York Giants, Denver Broncos, Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills before Garrett becomes eligible to return, then hosts the Arizona Cardinals in Week 6, the game the team is hoping marks his season debut. None of that return timeline is guaranteed, since players are frequently kept on injured reserve slightly longer than the minimum if recovery isn’t fully on track.
Was this surgery expected, or does it change the outlook significantly?
It’s being framed as a setback rather than a shock, given how much Garrett already struggled with the issue over the summer. Still, losing a player of his caliber for a month, on top of Donald’s continued absence, adds real uncertainty for a Rams team that entered the season considered a top Super Bowl contender coming off a deep playoff run a year ago. How the defense performs without both players over these next several weeks will likely shape how legitimate that preseason billing actually was.
