Myles Garrett is expected to be activated from the injured reserve list ahead of the Los Angeles Rams’ game Sunday against the Washington Commanders, sources told Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network on Friday, as reported by RDS.
The defensive end has been sidelined since mid-September, when he underwent arthroscopic knee surgery after playing in the Rams’ season opener against the San Francisco 49ers in Australia. Garrett resumed practice this week, though head coach Sean McVay said Monday that he did not want to commit to a specific return date.
Knee procedure followed the opener in Australia
Garrett’s injury timeline traces back to the Rams’ first game of the season, played in Australia against San Francisco. He had the arthroscopy on his knee shortly afterward and was placed on injured reserve, a designation that kept him out of the lineup for the weeks that followed.
The knee had already been an issue before the season began. After Week 1, Garrett said he was not at full strength, citing knee irritation that had kept him out for most of training camp.
McVay resisted setting a date
McVay’s reluctance to name a return date was on record before Friday’s reports. On Monday, he said he did not want to fix a specific timeline for Garrett’s comeback, a stance that left the door open for the activation news that emerged later in the week.
Garrett was acquired by Los Angeles from the Cleveland Browns in exchange for defensive end Jared Verse and three draft picks, including a first-round selection in 2027. The Rams also paired him with Aaron Donald, who came out of retirement to join the Rams’ defensive line.
A record-setting résumé in Cleveland
Garrett arrives in Los Angeles with the league’s most recent Defensive Player of the Year award on his résumé. He was named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year for 2025 after setting the single-season sack record with 23 sacks for the Browns, according to RDS.
Pairing Garrett with Donald was meant to give Los Angeles a dominant interior-and-edge pass rush. Through the early part of this season, though, the results have not matched the expectation: the Rams rank tied for 26th in the NFL with 12 sacks, a figure that underscores what Garrett’s return could mean on Sunday.
What Sunday’s game means for the Rams’ line
Washington’s Commanders will be the first opponent to face Garrett in a Rams uniform if he is activated.
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