The Los Angeles Rams welcome the Buffalo Bills for their Week 5 showdown, but they will once again be without one of their notable offseason additions, Myles Garrett.
The Rams defensive end missed his fourth consecutive game as he continues his recovery from knee surgery.
After undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery in mid-September, Garrett was placed on injured reserve, ruling him out for a minimum of four regular-season games.
When will Myles Garrett come back?
The Rams have yet to set a firm date for Garrett’s return, and McVay’s latest comments suggest the team does not expect to begin his comeback process next week.
Should he remain on track for the reported six-to-eight-week recovery period, he could potentially return as early as November 1, when Los Angeles is slated to take on the Chargers.
Despite positive progress in his recovery, the Rams are proceeding cautiously before clearing Garrett to return. Sean McVay addressed the defensive end’s injury during Saturday’s press conference, indicating that he is unlikely to resume practice next week.
Los Angeles appears set to hold off on activating Garrett from injured reserve when he becomes eligible to return in Week 6.
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The 30-year-old is recovering from the knee procedure he underwent after the Rams’ season-opening loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
Sean McVay provides Garrett injury update
McVay had previously characterized the issue as knee irritation, which also limited Garrett during training camp and affected his availability before the regular season began.
“His surgery went really well. He’s making good progress,” McVay said, before explaining that the team would continue to assess the recovery on a week-to-week basis.
“As far as what that timeline looks like, it’s kind of week to week in terms of how he feels. But I would say it’s more likely that we do not start his clock next week,” the Rams coach added.
McVay’s remarks indicate that Garrett’s absence could extend beyond the Week 5 game against Buffalo.
Rams defensive line adjustments
The 30-year-old has featured in only one game for Los Angeles since joining the Rams from the Cleveland Browns in a June trade, appearing in their season opener against the 49ers in Australia.
His prolonged absence has forced the team to explore alternative options along the defensive line while waiting for the high-profile addition to recover.
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With Garrett sidelined, Josaiah Stewart has taken over a starting spot alongside Byron Young. Rookie Wesley Bailey and Desjuan Johnson have also contributed to the defensive-line rotation, with Los Angeles continuing to depend on the group until Garrett is ready to return.