The Los Angeles Rams are going to be without 2025 Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett for at least four games as he plans to undergo surgery on his knee. The former Cleveland Browns standout practically laid an egg in the Rams' season-opener against the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia on Thursday, failing to record a tackle.
"When I was out there, I was a little bit more focused on myself and trying to stay healthy than what they were doing, and that showed," Garrett said after the 27-7 loss. "I wasn't who I needed to be for my team."
Clearly, he wasn't at 100 percent and now the Rams will have to play without the star pass rusher they traded DE Jared Verse, a first and second-round pick for this offseason. That's a massive blow considering Garrett was the backup plan after Las Vegas Raiders star defender Maxx Crosby turned down every team shopping for him post-failed trade to the Baltimore Ravens. Don't think Los Angeles is going to try and knock on that door again with Garrett poised to miss significant time now.
Rams can't and shouldn't trade for Raiders' Maxx Crosby after Myles Garrett setback
Despite the reports Los Angeles wanted Crosby first before taking a home run swing at Garrett, there's just no feasible path for the team to accomplish a hasty swap after Week 1. The Raiders wanted the same kind of offer Baltimore reneged on (two first-rounders at least) and Crosby wanted to stay in Las Vegas after its free agency splurge.
Even if the Rams made a phone call, that same price tag would probably apply especially given how desperate they'd sound. Los Angeles only has a first-rounder as early as 2028 and it's unlikely the Raiders are willing to extend an already overdue rebuild that long nor are the Rams that desperate in their "win now" approach to mortgage their future.
The team probably wouldn't have let Garrett undergo the procedure he wants (nor would he have passed his medical) if the prognosis was an extended absence. And if they did, shame on them. Former Super Bowl champion Aaron Donald will be making his post-retirement debut in due time and he'll hopefully fill the Garrett-sized hole in the defensive line.
Should Donald be a shell of himself and Garrett's absence extend beyond four games, then the Rams can consider hitting the panic button. But any offer made to the Raiders, even if they are barreling toward another firesale at the deadline, will have to include a significant asset in addition to a 2027 second-rounder, the 2028 first-rounder, and possibly more.
The other question the team will have to ask itself is whether 2026 is a lost cause should it continue to lose without Garrett and with Donald. Trading for Crosby doesn't elevate the team to a Super Bowl contender again if the offense, like on Wednesday, is completely stagnant. Quarterback Matthew Stafford was held to 155 yards and an interception down under despite having weapons like Davante Adams, Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams to work with.
Let Garrett get healthy and work on the offense before resorting to drastic measures like a Crosby trade. There are going to be other teams that will drive that bidding war to unreasonable levels. Find another path to winning or risk being labeled one-dimensional when the season's post-mortems are evaluated.
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