While it was learned on Tuesday that Los Angeles Rams defensive superstar Aaron Donald won’t play in his team’s regular-season opener against the rival San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia, on Thursday night (ET U.S. time), head coach Sean McVay confirmed that star pass-rusher Myles Garrett will be good to make his official Rams debut.
Garrett missed most of training camp and the preseason with knee swelling, so it’s unclear how much he will play in the Week 1 clash. On Tuesday, he suggested that he will be ready to make an impact against the Niners.
Myles Garrett knows he has “plenty of support” with the Rams
“I think I’ll be able to play off of some great teammates,” Garrett explained, per Benjamin Royer of The Orange County Register. “We have a strong defense all around and they’ll make it easy, even if I am a touch off of what I usually am. I don’t suspect that I will be, but I have plenty of support, that’s all I’m saying.”
Despite the Donald news, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Rams as 3.5-point favorites over the 49ers as of Wednesday morning. At that same time, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Rams as the overall betting favorites at +500 odds to win Super Bowl LXI this coming February.
Myles Garrett has big goals in mind ahead of Rams debut
The Cleveland Browns made Garrett the first overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft, and he became a two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award winner for the 2025 season. That said, the 30-year-old who was traded from the Browns to the Rams this past June has thus far played in just three playoff games and one postseason victory during what many believe is already a Hall of Fame career. Now with the Rams, Garrett is pursuing more than just an individual award or two.
“Super Bowl,” Garrett said while discussing his goals ahead of the 49ers game. “Win DPOY again, obviously, I think those are the two main things on my mind, and going out and just being the best player I can be. There is a whole bunch of opportunities out there for us as the D-line to be something truly special, and I just want us to be able to realize that and never go into the locker room after a game feeling like we could’ve achieved more or done more.”
The Rams host the New York Giants for a Week 2 “Monday Night Football” game on Sept. 21. That matchup will presumably be the first time that Garrett and Donald line up next to each other against an opposing offense.
