NFL Sunday brought injury updates for both Myles Garrett and Puka Nacua. Garrett’s absence is trending six weeks instead of the earlier reported four. Nacua is battling a loss of top-end explosiveness. He could return as soon as next week although surgery is on the table if he doesn’t get back to feeling like himself.
While Nacua’s injury is outside of the Los Angeles Rams’ control, they had an opportunity to take their lumps with Garrett during training camp. The star defensive end is now set to miss
a third of his first season in LA.
Garrett was active in the early days of camp. He then aggravated his knee and sat out most practices until it was time to ramp up for Week 1 in Australia—even sitting out a Tuesday session.
The first report on Garrett’s knee soreness cropped up on July 29th. It was largely framed as an issue that could be managed with rest and a limited schedule, and the team called it “precautionary”.
What is obvious now but wasn’t then is that the Rams had a choice to either scope the knee immediately or hold off and hope it gets better on his own. In these situations it’s important to listen to the player. They know their bodies better than anyone else. For someone like Garrett with a limited injury history, why not let his body put itself back together?
Based on the reported six-week window, Garrett would already be back in the fold if he went under the knife in early August. He would have missed the 49ers season opener—which looking back it didn’t matter whether he was playing or not—and the Rams proved capable of winning without him in Week 2 against the Giants.
Garrett’s absence looms larger over the next three games when his team faces the Broncos, Eagles, and Bills. His status is even up in the air for the two games that follow against the Cardinals and Raiders.
The Browns received a massive trade haul for Garrett. The Rams aren’t getting what they paid for. The worst part is they were handled a difficult situation and likely contributed by making the wrong decision. If LA doesn’t fare well over the next five games without Garrett, it may not matter when or if he returns this season. The Super Bowl hopes could already be dashed.
And even more concerning is the fact the Rams have landed in the same scenario with Nacua, although it’s different because no matter the team’s decision the star receiver would miss games.
The bigger looming question with Nacua is whether the Rams are managing his injury like a team that wants to re-sign him long-term or as someone they need back in order to maximize the last year on his rookie contract. If the team decides to take a longer approach to Nacua’s recover, that could provide insight into how they approach his expiring deal.
These two injuries—and the Rams’ response—have the potential to decide the outcome of the 2026 season in Los Angeles.
