Los Angeles Rams v Jacksonville Jaguars - NFL 2025
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The Los Angeles Rams were facing questions about their pass rush after a flat season opener.
Now, with Myles Garrett headed to injured reserve, Sean McVay has identified one of the players who will have to help provide the answer.
Rams senior staff writer Stu Jackson relayed McVay’s message about second-year outside linebacker Josaiah Stewart on Sept. 14.
McVay said he has seen “consistent growth” from Stewart and believes the 2025 third-round pick can contribute against both the run and the pass.
“He’ll be asked to step up, as will everybody in that group,” McVay said.
With Josaiah Stewart potentially due for a bigger role in Myles Garrett’s absence, asked Sean McVay what he’s seen in Stewart since Stewart arrived in LA (2025 3rd round pick):
“I’ve seen consistent growth. I thought he did a lot of good things the other day. I think he’s a
The opportunity comes quickly.
Stewart made six tackles and recorded one of the Rams’ two quarterback hits in their 27-7 Week 1 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, via the Los Angeles Times.
Garrett, meanwhile, played 40 of 65 defensive snaps without recording a tackle before the Rams decided he would undergo knee surgery and miss at least four games on injured reserve.
Stewart’s Role Expands After Promising Rookie Season
NFC Divisional Playoffs: Los Angeles Rams v Chicago Bears
GettyCHICAGO, ILLINOIS – JANUARY 18: Josaiah Stewart #10 of the Los Angeles Rams looks on against the Chicago Bears in the NFC Divisional Playoffs at Soldier Field on January 18, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Stewart arrived in Los Angeles with pass-rush production already known.
The Rams selected the former Michigan standout with the No. 90 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft after he totaled 8.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles over 11 games during his final college season.
There was also an underlying number that made Stewart intriguing as a prospect. The Rams noted after drafting him that Pro Football Focus credited Stewart with a 27.7% pass-rush win rate in 2024, the best mark in the nation among edge rushers with at least 90 pass-rush snaps.
His rookie season demonstrated a applicable foundation. Stewart appeared in all 17 regular-season games, finishing with 22 tackles and three sacks. Los Angeles’ end-of-season review of its 2025 draft class also noted that Stewart played at least 31.7% of the defensive snaps in 11 games and saw his workload reach 49.1% in the regular-season finale.
That rotational assignment now appears ready to grow.
McVay’s description of Stewart as a “complete player” is important for a defense losing Garrett because the job cannot be reduced to obvious passing downs.
Rams’ Week 1 Pressure Numbers Raise Concern
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GettyLA Rams’ head coach Sean McVay speaks to the media at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne on September 10, 2026. The first-ever regular-season NFL game in Australia takes place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on September 11, 2026, featuring the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams. (Photo by Martin KEEP / AFP via Getty Images) / – IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE –
The larger issue is what happened when the Rams did get opportunities to rush Brock Purdy.
The Athletic‘s Nate Atkins noted, citing TruMedia Sports, that Los Angeles blitzed on only 11.1% of dropbacks against San Francisco, tied for the second-lowest rate in the NFL during Week 1.
The Rams generated pressure on just 22.2% of pass plays, the third-worst figure in the league.
Those numbers illustrate the challenge facing Stewart and the rest of the front.
The Rams clearly showed a willingness to trust a four-man rush and keep extra defenders in coverage, but that approach becomes much harder to maintain if the front can’t consistently speed up the quarterback.
Purdy completed 25 of 34 passes for 205 yards and three touchdowns. Stewart produced one of the few hits Los Angeles managed, giving McVay at least something to build on as the Rams rework the rotation.
Aaron Donald will hopefully change how things work when he gets back.
McVay said Monday that the Rams hadn’t decided whether Donald, who returned from a two-year retirement, would make his 2026 debut against the New York Giants. He also stressed that Donald’s timeline is independent of Garrett’s injury.
The Rams do need more disruption than they created in Australia, however, and Stewart is now positioned to receive the snaps required to show he can provide it.
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