Myles

Garrett

Garrett continues to not practice while experiencing swelling in his knee. It sounds like this is more maintenance than anything else, as the Rams want the start pass-rusher to be ready to roll and at his best for the opener against the 49ers next week in Australia. Still, it’s something to keep an eye on.

Checking in on the star pass-rusher heading into the third preseason week, Garrett (knee) still has not practiced since early August. He is experiencing swelling in his knee and head coach Sean McVay continues to downplay his absence. It’s possible this is just veteran load management; we still expect Garrett to be ready for Week 1, though his absence is becoming more and more notable as the season inches closer.

When Garrett initially began experiencing knee soreness and swelling in late July, Rams coach Sean McVay said he expected Garrett to resume practicing by August 6th. Garrett retook the field on August 5th, but began sitting out again this week. Garrett, 30, has regularly played through injuries in his career. At this point, he has plenty of time to get right for the season opener. His participation is worth tracking, though.

Ah, that doesn’t sound ominous at all. Garrett told McVay he’s at “85 percent” at the moment. Garrett had been practicing before this, so perhaps this winds up being nothing and they’re merely holding him out to be safe. But knee swelling does not tend to lead anywhere good.

Garrett missed four practices with lower-body soreness, but suited up and practiced Wednesday. There is no concern for the star 30-year-old pass rusher; Garrett is back on the practice field and could be sharing the field with Aaron Donald soon.

McVay adds that there is “nothing to worry about,” although Garrett will also miss his fourth consecutive practice on Monday. McVay expects Garrett to resume practicing in time for the Rams’ next practice block. They have a scheduled day off on Tuesday, before returning for a two-day slate on Wednesday and Thursday, which are the last two training camp practices that Rams fans can purchase tickets to. We should have an update by Wednesday at the latest. ESPN’s Sarah Barshop later quoted McVay as saying Garrett has “had checkups” and that his expected four-day absence is about keeping him as fresh as possible for Week 1 against the 49ers, five weeks from now. Hopefully, they are just being overly cautious and there really is no issue here.

The contract tweaks moved “the vesting date of his guarantees back a few months,” allowing the Rams to bring Garrett and his record-setting deal aboard without issue. Garrett’s average annual value and contract length both remain the same. This move could allow the Rams to add another veteran or two, but we do not yet know exactly how Garrett’s money will be spread out over the Rams’ current and future books.

Schultz apparently texted Donald, 35, about whether he would consider coming out of retirement to play alongside new Rams EDGE Myles Garrett. Per Schultz, Donald responded by saying he is “for sure flirting with the idea,” and if he can “find the fire, it’s a possibility.” Donald also noted that this season’s Super Bowl will be hosted at the Rams’ SoFi Stadium, which appeals to him. Donald is still on the Rams’ reserve/retired list, so his 2024 salary can be reinstated if he decides he would like to return. According to Over The Cap, the Rams have $16.3 million in salary cap space this season. A potential return should not be expected. Retired players entertain returns from time to time, but most of the time, they decide to stay put. To be fair to Donald, though, it does seem like he is at least mildly weighing his options.

Shortly after Browns HC Todd Monken declined to comment on whether or not he expects Garrett to report to mandatory minicamp, we now have our answer. The 2025 NFL Defensive Player of the Year and single-season sacks record holder is now taking his talents to Los Angeles to help Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford’s push for a second Lombardi Trophy. Speculation around a possible trade for Garrett began swirling earlier this offseason after the team re-worked the language in his contract to make him more feasible to trade, and now, after months of insisting Garrett would be a Brown for life, Cleveland has dealt him away. It goes without saying that Garrett will provide a major boost to a defense that finished 10th in points allowed last season and fell just short of a Super Bowl appearance, even if it does come at the cost of losing a young star in Verse. Garrett signed a four-year, $130 million extension with the Browns last offseason and remains under contract through 2030, putting him under the Rams’ control for the next four seasons. In addition to Verse and a 2027 first-round pick, the Rams also sent a 2028 second-rounder and a 2029 third-rounder to Cleveland. Browns GM Andrew Berry said shortly after the deal was announced that talks were ongoing and nothing was official yet, but this seems like a done deal despite Berry’s best poker face.

Monken said the only thing he was assured of when taking the job as the Browns’ head coach was what was written on his contract. That doesn’t seem great. Garrett has been the subject of offseason trade rumors after the Browns modified the language in his contract earlier this offseason, and has notably been a no-show at team activities thus far. Should he not report to mandatory minicamp next week, it would be the most obvious sign yet of a clearly disgruntled player who could be looking for a way out. Garrett signed a massive four-year, $130 million contract extension last offseason, but now, it’s possible the 30-year-old pass-rusher would like to have a chance winning something on the football field while still in the prime of his career. Garrett set an NFL record 23 sacks last season on his way to winning Defensive Player of the Year honors. If he were to become available, it’s safe to say there would be plenty of teams lining up for a chance at his services.