Rams Activate Myles Garrett for Week 9 at Commanders

Myles Garrett is back. The Los Angeles Rams activated the reigning Defensive Player of the Year from injured reserve on Saturday, NFL.com reported, and he carries no injury designation into Sunday’s game at the Washington Commanders. Coach Sean McVay said Friday that Garrett is expected to play barring a setback.

It is Garrett’s first game since Week 1. He had knee surgery after the opener against San Francisco and missed the next seven games while the Rams slid to 4-4 and third place in the NFC West.

The Pairing the Rams Built For

This was the whole point of the offseason. The Rams traded for Garrett in a blockbuster with Cleveland, and Aaron Donald came out of retirement to line up next to him. They have not played a snap together yet. Donald was inactive for the opener, and Garrett went down right after it.

“I think the offenses really have to pick their poison,” Garrett said. “Who is going to be freed up this play?”

In that lone game, Garrett logged five pressures and no sacks. He practiced on a limited basis twice this week and took a rest day Friday before the activation.

Pressure Without the Sacks

The Rams defense has been close. Los Angeles ranks third in the league in quarterback pressure rate at 41.0 percent, but those pressures have turned into only 12 sacks, tied for 26th. That gap between getting home and finishing is exactly where Garrett, who had 23 sacks in 2025, is supposed to help.

The secondary is the worry. Cornerback Jaylen Watson went on injured reserve Saturday with a season-ending shoulder injury, and Trent McDuffie (back) and Kam Curl (foot) are both questionable. The Rams also activated running back Ronnie Rivers from IR.

Rams at Commanders Sunday

Kickoff is 1 p.m. ET at Northwest Stadium in Landover. Washington just beat Philadelphia but is thin on its own defensive line with Daron Payne and Javon Kinlaw on injured reserve, and the Commanders ruled out receivers Treylon Burks and Dyami Brown. Jayden Daniels practiced fully all week.

For a Rams team that was sold as a superteam and has played like a .500 one, Sunday is the first real look at the defense they planned in the spring. Garrett and Donald on the same field is the reset button.

Smacktok pick lean: Lean higher on Rams team sacks at Washington. The Rams already pressure at a 41.0 percent rate and now add Garrett next to Donald for the first time. McVay has not announced a snap count, so if Garrett is eased in on a rotation early, lean on the Rams pressure staying high but drop any Garrett-only sack play.