Myles Garrett makes worrisome admission after first game with Rams that ended up being good news for the Browns
Myles Garrett’s first game with the Los Angeles Rams did not go as expected, and the Cleveland Browns are better off for it due to what they got back in the blockbuster trade over the summer.
Thursday night marked the first game of the NFL season, and though it did not include the Cleveland Browns, it did include their previous cornerstone franchise player in defensive end Myles Garrett.
Now with the Los Angeles Rams after June’s blockbuster trade, Garrett made his regular season debut in a 27-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Australia. It was the kind of game the former Browns star will want to forget.
Myles Garrett records no pressures, tackles, or sacks in 39 snaps
Garrett played 39 snaps against the 49ers and didn’t record a pressure, tackle, or sack. It was, by any measure, one of the worst games of his NFL career. After the loss, Garrett made a telling admission about where he stands.
“This was the worst version of myself that I’ve put out there,” Garrett stated. “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 also acknowledged that his health played a significant role in his struggles on the field.
“That’s the main thing,” Garrett said. “When I was out there I was a little more focused on myself and trying to stay healthy than what they were doing, and it showed. I wasn’t what I needed to be for my team.”
Knee injury is an early concern for the Rams and Garrett
Garrett has been battling a knee injury, and his comments suggest it’s still hampering him with the season underway. The fact that it’s only Week 1 and Garrett is already working through an injury is an alarming sign. Garrett has stayed primarily healthy over the course of his NFL career and has not dealt with a major injury. He’s coming off a season with the Browns where he recorded 23 sacks to break the NFL record, yet in his first game with the Rams, he didn’t look like that caliber of player.
It’s only one game, and Garrett is still an All-Pro superstar who remains the top pass rusher in the NFL. Still, it’s a worry for Los Angeles if their prized trade acquisition can’t get healthy early in the season.
The Browns sent Garrett to the Rams back in June and got a solid haul in return, which includes Los Angeles’ first-round pick in 2027. Anytime the Rams lose, it’s good news for Cleveland, and Thursday’s result was a strong start on that front.
For the Rams and Garrett, it’s all about can recovering and getting back to being the dominant force he’s been throughout his career. But there’s no sugarcoating it: his Rams tenure did not start as expected.
