Myles Garrett Ready to Play 49ers, McVay Says
Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay said defensive end Myles Garrett is "ready to go" for the season opener against the 49ers. That settles the biggest injury question hanging over the Rams' trip to Australia.
The declaration came one day after Garrett missed Tuesday's practice because of knee swelling. He has not practiced much this summer, so the concern was real. Yahoo Sports later confirmed Garrett is in for Week 1.
The Rams are not treating this casually. Swelling in a pass rusher's knee does not usually vanish overnight, and the long flight to Melbourne complicates treatment. But McVay's wording sounded definitive. "Ready to go" means expect Garrett to play, not just dress.
That matters more than any other Week 1 decision for Los Angeles. Without Garrett, the Rams would be sending a rotation of replacement rushers against San Francisco's offensive line. With him, the rest of the front gets easier matchups. This is the simple math of an elite edge rusher, and the Rams have been managing him all summer with this game in mind.
The open question is whether the knee holds up through live contact. Practice reps do not simulate a 300-pound tackle cutting you in the second quarter. If the Rams limit Garrett at all, it will likely be on early downs or obvious passing situations. But they would not have announced him as ready if they expected to sit him.
The strongest read here: Garrett at less than a full practice load is still the most dangerous pass rusher on the field. San Francisco will need to know where he is on every play. If the knee stays stable, playing him was the right call. If it swells again, Los Angeles traded one game for a longer problem.