For much of the season, the Los Angeles Rams have been waiting to reap the rewards of the big trade they made this offseason when they acquired edge rusher Myles Garrett. After managing knee swelling in training camp and then not playing at 100 percent in Week 1, Garrett has been on injured reserve since. However, Garrett is finally set to return to practice this week. 

To be clear, that doesn’t necessarily mean that Garrett will play on Sunday against the Washington Commanders, but it’s also the first good news that the Rams have gotten on him in two months. With that said, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported that when Garrett gets on the field for practice, it should all happen quickly, leaving this week in play.

“I want to be careful to even set any sort of expectations. I think taking it a day at a time is going to be the best way that we can approach it,” said head coach Sean McVay on Monday. “That's the right thing for him and to see how he responds. I think it's a real positive that we're starting his clock.”

This is the moment that the Rams have been waiting for. During the offseason, Aaron Donald came out of retirement in large part because he wanted to play alongside Garrett. Those two have yet to play a snap together as Donald didn’t make the trip in Week 1 and Garrett was placed on injured reserve ahead of Week 2. 

Through the first eight weeks of the season, the Rams have been managing injuries to key players, Garrett being the first among them. The Rams have simply been trying to get by as they begin to get healthy and that is finally starting to happen. 

Rams Pass Rush Has Taken a Step Back Without Myles Garrett

Overall, the Rams’ depth has done well, all things considered. Josaiah Stewart was only expected to be a rotational player and has played 67.3 percent of the defensive snaps this season. Wesley Bailey was signed to the roster as an undrafted free agent and has played 30 percent of the defensive snaps, becoming a key part of the pass rush rotation. 

Both players have two sacks on the year and Bailey forced a fumble last week against the los Angeles Chargers. However, Stewart’s 11.6 percent pressure rate ranks 70th out of 116 edge rushers. Bailey’s 8.5 percent pressure rate ranks 99th. Stewart and Bailey rank 61st and 78th in pass rush win rate. 

The Rams have lacked consistent pressure off of the edge, and Garrett will certainly provide a huge boost to the defense and pass rush in that aspect if he’s healthy. While Jared Verse doesn’t have a sack this season for the Cleveland Browns, it’s fair to wonder what impact a healthy Verse could have had on the Rams’ defense.

Without Garrett, the Rams currently rank 21st in pressure rate, compared to second last year and 14th in 2024. The Rams were ninth in sack rate last year and 19th in 2024 and have dropped down to 27th this season. That’s despite going from the least-blitzing team to 16th. Chris Shula’s blitz rate has increased by nearly 10 percent to help the defense generate pressure on the quarterback. 

Shula’s increased blitz rate has been a positive while Garrett has been out, and it will be interesting to see if that continues or if the defense goes back to what it has been the last few years when they’ve been comfortable getting pressure with four.

Myles Garrett Could Rams Defense to Another Level

The Rams traded for Garrett in the offseason with the hope that he could take their defense and pass rush to the next level. Without Garrett, the Rams’ defense ranks sixth in EPA per play and their -0.15 EPA per pass ranks fourth. Garrett will be entering an already good situation without the pressure of having to do everything himself.

Still, this is what the Rams have been waiting for. The Super Bowl team that the Rams built this offseason is finally starting to come together as it gets healthy. They’ll still await the return of Davante Adams, Kobie Turner, and Terrance Ferguson, but having Garrett back in the lineup is a huge first step. 

Without Garrett, the Rams have shown that they can play at a high level defensively. However, the Rams traded for Garrett so that the defense could take over games in JanuaryIf he returns healthy and can provide the consistent pressure that the Rams have been missing, this defense could become one of the NFL's most dangerous as they fight for a playoff spot. The Rams can finally start to look like the team they envisioned during the offseason. With Garrett set to return to practice, the Rams are one step closer to seeing that all come together.