The Los Angeles Rams placed star pass rusher Myles Garrett on injured reserve Sunday, ruling him out for at least the next four games.
While, of course, this is mostly unfortunate news for the team, if we apply the “never waste a good crisis” logic we can find some silver linings. One of the developments to monitor will be how second-year EDGE rusher Josaiah Stewart fares in a larger role.
The Rams stand to benefit from more information on Stewart. Garrett’s co-starter, Byron Young, is in a contract year and it could be tough to retain him given the number of young players on LA’s roster looking for second deals. If Stewart earns the Rams’ confidence, it would make the decision surrounding Young more straight forward.
Stewart’s newfound opportunity is much bigger than the next four games. It’s about setting himself up for a starting job in 2027 and replacing Young longer term.
Get to know Josaiah Stewart
I wrote the following about the 2025 third-round pick back in June:
What if I told you Stewart was as effective as a pass rusher as last year’s third overall selection in Abdul Carter? They both led all rookie EDGE rushers in pass rush win rate, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF), at 14.7%. This would rank around 22nd among all players at the same position with at least 318 pass rushing snaps.
It makes sense that Stewart’s role would increase in 2026 despite Myles Garrett joining the team. You can never have too many quality EDGE rushers, and Stewart does bring a physical presence whereas Byron Young is a straight speedster. The Rams did not shy away from using Stewart in all facets a year ago: his run versus pass rushing snaps were evenly divided and he also dropped into coverage nearly a quarter of the time. There is no stronger endorsement of a rookie than asking him to do it all.
In Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers, Stewart played 28 of 64 total defensive snaps. Garrett and Young were on the field for 40 and 47, respectively. Fourth-string EDGE rusher Desjuan Johnson played 15 snaps. In a small sample size, Stewart finished with the third-highest Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade on defense at 75.9. He finished ahead of Garrett, Young, and Johnson.
There is one important distinction between Stewart and Garrett: the Rams view Stewart as a true 3-4 outside linebacker and ask him to drop in coverage often. Despite Garrett significantly outsnapping Stewart against San Francisco, Garrett did not drop into coverage while Stewart did so on three plays. At the same position, only Young had more with four coverage snaps. Stewart earned a PFF coverage grade of 80.6.
Stewart impressed as a rookie. He continued that momentum into the first game of 2026. Now he needs to maintain his efficiency into a larger role opposite Young while Garrett is on injured reserve.
Josaiah Stewart just became a very important member of the Rams.