Los Angeles Rams star Myles Garrett acknowledged his knee injury is more serious than previously let on after registering zero tackles in his Rams debut — a 27-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers
Myles Garrett #95 of the Los Angeles Rams
Myles Garrett has addressed his injury issue(Image: Quinn Rooney, Getty Images)
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Myles Garrett has finally come clean about the severity of his knee injury following a disappointing debut with the Los Angeles Rams in their season-opening loss on Australian soil.
The reigning AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year recorded zero tackles and made virtually no impact as the Rams were hammered 27-7 by the San Francisco 49ers on Friday.
Despite sitting out much of training camp and recent practice sessions to rest the injury, neither Garrett nor the Rams had suggested he might be less than fully fit heading into his 10th NFL season. It wasn't until before his 15-hour flight back to LA that Garrett finally admitted he's far from 100 percent. It comes after 49ers star couldn't hide reaction after hearing Rams' Australia travel plans.
"This was the worst version of myself that I've put out there, and I've got to be better," Garrett said at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. "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 declined to go into specifics about his knee or his overall physical condition after finishing without a single tackle for just the fourth time in 135 career NFL games — refusing to even reveal which knee is causing him problems.
"I wasn't the player that I wanted to be, and I feel like I wasn't the player I've been before when I've stepped onto that field," Garrett said. "I've got to do what I can to get back to that."
Garrett missed just two games across his final five seasons with the Cleveland Browns, who shipped him off to Los Angeles over the summer.
The Rams were well beaten in Melbourne
The Rams were well beaten in Melbourne(Image: Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
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Garrett's struggles were merely one issue for the Rams' overhauled defense, which brought in the NFL's premier pass rusher and elite cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson to a unit that advanced to the NFC championship game last season.
While McDuffie delivered a respectable performance in Melbourne, the day proved disastrous overall. Watson surrendered a touchdown to Mike Evans, and no one emerged with a breakthrough performance as the 49ers reeled off the game's final 24 points.
LA's offense fared no better, resulting in a 20-point thrashing — the Rams' heaviest loss since November 2024.
The Rams became the first franchise to start a season with both the reigning NFL MVP and AP Defensive Player of the Year on their roster, yet Matthew Stafford fell well short of his previous season's form. The 38-year-old signal-caller completed 15 of 25 passes for 155 yards and an interception, failing to throw a touchdown pass after recording at least one in every regular-season contest last year.
"'Surprised' is not the word," Stafford said. "Disappointed in the way it worked out for us. Obviously, didn't move the ball consistently enough, didn't put enough points up on the board to give ourselves a chance to be in the game. Every game and every season is a new one. Go out there and find a way to clean things up, move forward and be better."
George Kittle #85 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates with fans
George Kittle celebrates with fans(Image: Quinn Rooney, Getty Images)
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There is a silver lining for the defense: They'll welcome a three-time AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year into their rotation soon, potentially as early as next Monday night when they face the New York Giants.
Aaron Donald remained stateside rather than making the trip to Australia after ending his retirement just two weeks earlier, but the 35-year-old star will shortly join Garrett on the defensive line.
That won't ease the lengthy journey back home, but it's far too early in the season for the Rams to feel genuinely disheartened.
"We knew we were going to face some adversity this season," Garrett said. "It's game one. We've got to find if we are as resilient as we're saying."