Myles Garrett Expected Back Sunday as Rams Visit Commanders
Sean McVay said the Rams will activate the pass rusher from IR for Washington, clearing the way for Garrett and Aaron Donald to be active together for the first time.
LOS ANGELES — Myles Garrett is expected to play for the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday at Washington, ending a seven-game absence after knee surgery and setting up the first time the pass rusher and Aaron Donald will be active together. Coach Sean McVay said Friday that the Rams will activate Garrett from injured reserve for the game against the Commanders, barring a late setback, according to NBC Sports, Field Level Media and the NFL’s Friday injury roundup.
The Associated Press reported from Los Angeles that Garrett has played in just one game for the Rams since the club acquired him from Cleveland in the offseason, and that McVay called him “really good” and said he was grateful Garrett was back and feeling well. Field Level Media and NBC Sports both placed Sunday’s kickoff in Landover, Md., with the Rams listed at 4-4 entering the week in AP’s account.
From Week 1 Setback to Friday’s Clearance
Garrett aggravated an existing knee injury in the season opener against the San Francisco 49ers in Australia and underwent arthroscopic surgery in September, Field Level Media reported. He has been on injured reserve since and returned to practice this week. McVay told reporters Garrett made a strong impression Wednesday and Thursday.
“He has progressed really well, made a tremendous impact in practice on Wednesday and Thursday (and) feels really comfortable with the game plan,” McVay said, according to Field Level Media. “And it’s been great having him out there.”
How many snaps he will take remains unsettled. Field Level Media reported Garrett could be on a snap count Sunday, with the exact limit still to be determined. The NFL.com roundup listed him with no injury designation for Sunday and echoed McVay’s expectation that he will be activated and play unless something changes.
Donald and Garrett, Finally on the Same Field
If Garrett is active as planned, Sunday will be the first time he and defensive tackle Aaron Donald share a game-day roster. Donald did not play in Week 1 while working back into shape after returning from retirement, Field Level Media and NBC Sports reported. Pairing the reigning Defensive Player of the Year with Donald was a central selling point of the Rams’ offseason: Field Level Media noted Garrett set the single-season sack record with 23 in 2025 with Cleveland and arrived in Los Angeles in a trade that sent two-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick and two additional selections to the Browns.
That front-four vision has barely been tested. Garrett’s only Rams appearance came without Donald; Donald’s return to live games came without Garrett. A healthy Sunday would close that gap for the first time, even if the pass rusher’s workload is managed carefully after seven weeks away.
Ferguson Back; McDuffie, Curl Among the Questionables
McVay also said tight end Terrance Ferguson is set to come off injured reserve. Ferguson has missed five games with an ankle injury after spraining it in Week 3 against Denver, according to NBC Sports and Rams Wire. NFL.com listed Ferguson with no injury designation for Sunday.
The other side of Friday’s report was less encouraging for the secondary and receiving corps. McVay said cornerback Trent McDuffie (back) and safety Kamren Curl (foot) are questionable, NFL.com reported. Rams Wire added that McDuffie would not practice Friday — his third straight missed session after injuring his back tackling against the Chargers last week — and that tight end Colby Parkinson is also questionable. The site further listed wide receiver Jordan Whittington (back) and linebacker Grant Stuard (hamstring) as questionable, with long snapper Joe Cardona doubtful because of an ankle injury.
Washington’s injury picture for Sunday includes wide receivers Dyami Brown (calf) and Treylon Burks (foot) listed out against the Rams, according to the NFL.com roundup, with defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton questionable.
What Sunday Means in Inglewood
For a Rams team that opened the year as a Super Bowl favorite in many books and has spent the middle of the season managing star absences, Garrett’s return is the clearest defensive reinforcement of the fall. Donald is already back. Ferguson gives Matthew Stafford another tight end option after a five-game gap. Whether McDuffie and Curl suit up will shape how much of the secondary McVay can trust on the road.
The Rams’ home remains SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, but Sunday’s stage is Northwest Stadium in Maryland. If Garrett clears the final medical checks and takes the field, Los Angeles will finally see the Donald-Garrett pairing that framed the offseason — even if it debuts 2,600 miles from the lake outside SoFi’s translucent roof.
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