Rams expect to keep Myles Garrett off the practice field another week as knee recovery continues

Los Angeles Rams defensive end Myles Garrett is unlikely to return to practice next week, head coach Sean McVay said Saturday, which would push the pass rusher’s comeback from knee surgery past the team’s Week 6 home game against the Arizona Cardinals.

Garrett becomes eligible to come off injured reserve once Monday night’s game against the Buffalo Bills is played, but McVay made clear the Rams will not rush the date. He said he was not ready to commit either way, then added that it is “more likely that we do not start his clock next week.” The decision matters for a defense that has gone four straight games without the player it gave up a haul to acquire in the offseason.

Coach McVay provides an update on Myles Garrett. pic.twitter.com/ouj3u4nDcy

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) October 10, 2026

Where the recovery stands

McVay described Garrett as “making good progress” and said the operation had gone well. Garrett underwent arthroscopic surgery on his knee in mid-September after playing through discomfort in the season opener against the San Francisco 49ers, the game the Rams played on their trip to Australia. The knee had already bothered him for much of training camp, and McVay said he believes the earlier irritation has been dealt with.

The coach drew a line between Garrett being able to play and Garrett being able to play at his usual level. The Rams want him to clear a set of on-field benchmarks and get real football work before he rejoins full practices, and McVay called the timeline week to week, depending on how Garrett feels.

The caution has a practical side. Once a team opens a player’s practice window, it has 21 days to move him to the 53-man roster. If he is not activated in that span, he reverts to injured reserve for the rest of the season, so clubs tend to wait until they are confident a return is close.

What it means for the Rams

Los Angeles is 2-2 and has gone 2-1 without Garrett since the opener, beating the New York Giants 28-6 and the Philadelphia Eagles 24-20 while losing 30-26 at Denver. Monday’s game will be the fourth he has missed. If the Rams hold off again next week as McVay expects, the earliest he could practice would be the week of the October 25 trip to Las Vegas, with the November 1 home game against the Los Angeles Chargers the next date on the calendar. Neither has been set as a target, and the team has not given a return date.

Garrett’s status, and every other designation for Monday night, is on our injury tracker.

What comes next

The Rams host the Bills on Monday, October 12, at 8:15 p.m. EDT (Game Center), then welcome the Cardinals on Sunday, October 18, at 4:05 p.m. EDT.