Myles Garrett on track to be activated ahead of Rams Week 9 matchup vs. Commanders

The Los Angeles Rams were dubbed a superteam coming into the 2026 season but have largely fallen short of that declaration as they enter Week 9 with a 4-4 record. That said, part of the reason for the underwhelming start is the club not having its biggest offseason acquisition, Myles Garrett, in the fold. That may be about to change.

The star pass rusher and defending Defensive Player of the Year is on track to be activated off of injured reserve ahead of Sunday's matchup against the Washington Commanders, head coach Sean McVay confirmed Friday. Garrett, who has been battling a knee injury, has been limited in practice this week and all indications point toward him playing this weekend.

Garrett had been hampered by a knee injury dating all the way back to training camp. Despite missing the bulk of camp, the 30-year-old suited up in Los Angeles' season-opener against the San Francisco 49ers in Australia. However, Garrett was largely ineffective in his Rams debut, recording just his fourth career game in which he totaled zero tackles. The injury clearly hobbled him as he played just 39 snaps.

After the contest, Garrett acknowledged that he was not 100%, saying, "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."

That then led Garrett to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his knee, which found him landing on injured reserve. He has since missed Los Angeles' last seven games. This extended absence is a rarity for Garrett, as he's typically been a durable piece to his prior defenses. Over the last five seasons (2021-2025), he missed just two of his 85 games played.

Entering Week 9, the Rams rank 17th in the NFL in pressure rate (36.3%) and 27th in sack rate (4.4%), so the addition of Garrett back into this unit should give the pass rush a much-needed boost.

Of course, Garrett was at the center of arguably the biggest blockbuster trade of the offseason. On June 1, LA sent pass rusher Jared Verse, a 2027 first-rounder, a 2028 second-rounder, and a 2029 third-round pick to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for Garrett. The Rams also reached an agreement on a restructured five-year, $208.2 million deal following the trade.

Before this deal, Garrett spent the first nine years of his career with the Browns, where he won two Defensive Player of the Year awards, including in 2025 after he set the single-season sack record (23).