The Los Angeles Rams' newly stacked defensive front just took a significant hit before it ever got going.
Myles Garrett, the reigning Defensive Player of the Yearacquired by Los Angeles in a blockbuster offseason trade
with the Cleveland Browns, is set to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery and will land on injured reserve, according to Tom Pelissero. Garrett had played through the issue since training camp, finishing Week 1's loss to the 49ers in Australia without a tackle for just the fourth time in 135 career games. The expectation is a return after the four-game minimum.It's a jarring start to Garrett's Rams tenure, but Los Angeles isn't devoid of answers up front.
Josaiah Stewart, a 2025 third-round pick out of Michigan, is the most obvious
candidate to absorb snaps. He played just 33 percent of the Rams' defensive reps as a rookie but still posted three sacks, 22 tackles and a forced fumble, and Pro Football credited him with the highest pass-rush win rate among all rookie edge defenders. He was also named a breakout candidate by many NFL pundits. With Garrett sidelined, Stewart's workload behind Byron Young should climb immediately.
Desjuan Johnson, a 2023 seventh-round pick out of Toledo, is another player who could step up. While he only played in 15 snaps in 2025, Johnson is the closest in size to Garrett among the Rams' backup defensive ends. Johnson stands at 6-foot-3 and 278 pounds, compared to Stewart's 6-foot-1 and 251-pound frame. Garrett, meanwhile, is 6-foot-4 and 272 pounds. Johnson logged two sacks in 2025 with five for his career.
Wesley Bailey, an undrafted rookie out of Louisville, is a dark-horse name to watch. He recorded a sack and a forced fumble in the preseason opener against the New Orleans Saints, continuing a six-sack college season that made him a name in Rams camp circles. While he might not push Stewart or Johnson for starting snaps, he also has a bigger frame at 6-foot-5 and 265 pounds and offers good depth on the defensive line without Garrett.
Braden Fiske, the Rams' 2024 second-round pick, is positioned to benefit most from the other side of this equation. Fiske burst onto the scene as a rookie with 8.5 sacks before a quieter sophomore year (3.0 sacks). Now, with Aaron Donald back in the fold after a two-and-a-half-year retirement, Fiske gets to rush alongside one of the greatest interior defenders ever, drawing attention away from him just as Garrett would have on the edge.
The Rams' defensive depth will be tested immediately, but between Stewart's trajectory, Johnson's savvy and Donald's return freeing up Fiske, Los Angeles has pieces in place to weather Garrett's absence.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Who will step up for Rams with Myles Garrett on injured reserve?
