It’s been six weeks since the Los Angeles Rams placed Myles Garrett on injured reserve, and they still don’t know when he’ll return to the field.
Or if they do, they’re not sharing it.
Head coach Sean McVay was asked on Monday about whether the Rams would open the 21-day practice window for Garrett’s return from injured reserve. Per the Rams website, McVay said that he hadn’t yet spoken with senior vice president of sports medicine Reggie Scott and didn’t know if Garrett would return to practice this week.
Thus, the wait continues.
Garrett’s missed 6 games since struggling in Rams debut
Garrett’s been on injured reserve since Week 2 after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery and was required to miss a minimum of four weeks. Initial reports stated that there was hope that he could return after those four weeks.Subsequent reporting shifted the timeline to six weeks. He’s missed six games since going on IR, and further updates about his condition and return have been sparse.
McVay was asked about Garrett’s status Monday after telling reporters last week that there’s “a possibility’ that he could return to practice this week. That statement coincided with a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport that it’s “likely that he returns to practice next week." As of Monday, uncertainty remains.
Even when Garrett returns to practice, that doesn’t mean he’ll be ready to play the following game. Once his practice window is opened, Garrett will have have 21 days to be activated to the 53-man roster or be placed on season-ending injured reserve.
The Rams, meanwhile, are in a fight to make the playoffs after starting the season as favorites to win the Super Bowl. They beat the Cardinals on Sunday to improve to 3-4 and have winnable upcoming games against the Chargers, Commanders and Cardinals again.
Even if they win all three, they’ll be at 6-4 in a competitive NFC playoff race with one of the league’s toughest schedules down the stretch. After a Week 11 bye, the Rams will close their season with games against the Packers, Chiefs, 49ers, Cowboys, Seahawks, Bucs and then the Seahawks again in their season finale.
In short, the Rams don’t have much margin for error, and the return of the reigning, two-time Defensive Player of the Year would provide a much-needed boost.