“Super Bowl. Win DPOY again, obviously.” That was Myles Garrett’s confident declaration just 48 hours after his trade from Cleveland to Los Angeles. But his 2026 Rams debut at the Melbourne Cricket Ground told a vastly different story. Battling knee swelling, the star defensive end went completely stat-less in a 27-7 beatdown by the 49ers. Rather than blaming his injury, Garrett took direct accountability for his performance.
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“This was the worst version of myself that I’ve put out there,” Myles Garrett said via ESPN’s Sarah Barshop. “And I’ve got to be better. I’ve got to find a way to recover and get back to the player I know I can be, and I’ve shown that I’ve been before.”
Garrett did not record a single tackle, sack, or QB hit. He didn’t even log a pass defended, force a fumble, or recover one. His night was so quiet that Puka Nacua actually had more tackles than him after Nacua “tackled” Renardo Green following an interception.
Pro Football Focus credited Garrett with only one pressure, a hurry, not a sack or QB hit. This was only the fourth game of his career where he had no tackles, QB hits, or sacks. The other three games also ended in losses.
Now, injury emerges as a major factor in Garrett’s poor performance. The 30-year-old dealt with knee swelling during training camp, which caused him to miss some practices and preseason work before returning ahead of the Rams’ Week 1 game against San Francisco. But the issue persisted, and the Niners capitalized.
Given all the time in the world to maneuver, Niners QB Brock Purdy connected with Demarcus Robinson for a 39-yard touchdown that sent San Francisco into halftime with a 10-7 lead. Coming out of the break, the 49ers blew the game wide open. They opened the third quarter with a crisp 51-yard scoring drive capped by Purdy’s second touchdown pass. Moments later, after San Francisco’s defense produced a clutch goal-line stand on their own 1-yard line, Purdy orchestrated a soul-crushing 99-yard touchdown drive to push the lead to 24-7 early in the fourth quarter.
By the end of the day, Purdy had faced virtually no pressure, finishing 25-of-34 for 205 yards, 3 touchdowns, and an interception, without taking a single sack. It was precisely the kind of comfortable pocket passing the Rams traded for Garrett to eliminate. Instead, L.A.’s marquee splash was rendered a non-factor. During the game, Garrett spent multiple series on the sideline in the second half. And by the end of the game, he was also benched.
The signs were showing up, and the Rams clearly ignored them. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that Garrett had limited training camp because of his knee issue. However, the Rams believed he would be ready for Week 1.
“Myles Garrett had a bit of a knee issue and really didn’t do much throughout camp,” Fowler said on SportsCenter. “They acquired him in June and brought him in. He hasn’t been on the field a ton, but they’re not really worried. They know he can roll out of bed and get sacks. He’s been ramping up slowly but surely, lifting a lot of weights; now he’s on the practice field. I’m hearing he should be good as well.”
What hurts the most is the Rams’ investment in him. They gave up Jared Verse and three draft picks in the trade with Cleveland. It was an unprecedented haul for Cleveland, but Los Angeles willingly paid it to secure a defender operating at an all-time elite level. The expectations were pretty high for Myles Garrett following his blockbuster trade from the Browns to the Rams, given his impressive track record throughout his career.
In 2025, he recorded 23 sacks, breaking the previous NFL single-season record of 22.5 held by Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt. His consistency is just as impressive, as he became the first player since 1982 to record at least 12 sacks in six straight seasons, while also reaching 10 or more sacks in eight consecutive seasons. None of that elite production showed up against San Francisco. This limited preparation is what created the problem for him as his knee became unpredictable.
Even sideline reporter Tom Pelissero also noticed Garrett’s condition, saying, “Every time he leaves the field, he really seems gassed.”
Former NFL linebacker Clay Matthews also noticed that Garrett had some serious trouble during the game.
After the game, Matthews said, “He [Garrett] looked tired. He looked like someone who hasn’t practiced.”
Despite the loss, Sean McVay took all the blame on himself.
“I didn’t do nearly a good enough job,” McVay told reporters after the game (0:06 mark). “This is a humbling day for us. This will define us only if we allow it to, and today was one of those days. I always look inside out; I didn’t do a good enough job getting us ready to go. There were some opportunities where maybe the game could’ve flipped, but they deserve the win.”
The key question now: How fast can Myles Garrett regain his elite form? Fortunately, help is on the way. Once the Rams head back stateside, Garrett will line up alongside legendary defensive tackle Aaron Donald. With two Defensive Players of the Year anchoring the line, brighter and far more dominant days are undoubtedly ahead.