Garrett: Knee not 100% in Rams' loss to 49ers — SkimNews
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- Myles Garrett called his performance in the Rams' 27-7 loss to the 49ers in Melbourne "the worst version of myself that I've put out there," saying his knee wasn't 100% and he was "a little bit more focused on myself" than the game itself.
- Sean McVay confirmed Garrett missed most of training camp with knee swelling; Garrett declined to say which knee was injured but wore a sleeve on his left leg during several practices.
- The Rams' pass rush pressured Brock Purdy on just 7 of 36 dropbacks (19%), their third-lowest rate since the start of last season, with Garrett generating only three individual pressures per ESPN tracking.
- Garrett's stat line included zero tackles — his first game without one since Week 11 of 2024 and just the fourth of his career (per ESPN Research).
- McVay said Garrett was 100% healthy "to my knowledge," even though Garrett told him earlier in camp he was "feeling about 85%."
- 49ers left tackle Trent Williams said he "couldn't tell" Garrett wasn't at full strength, calling him "still really hard to block" despite the zero-tackle game.
- 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said the team did not change its game plan after learning Aaron Donald wasn't playing: "We had to cheat the ends the same way, and it didn't change any of the game plan."
Why it matters: The reigning Defensive Player of the Year played a full game on a knee he himself admits wasn't 100%, and Los Angeles still generated just 19% pressure on Brock Purdy — their third-worst rate in nearly two seasons. If the knee issue lingers, the Rams' marquee offseason trade becomes far less imposing, and a 49ers team that handled them easily in Melbourne gains an early leg up in the NFC West.
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