From Super Bowl Favorites to What? Rams Face Early Season Crisis

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The Los Angeles Rams entered the 2026 season, dubbed by national analysts as the architect of the greatest offseason in NFL history. Having reached the NFC Championship Game last season, general manager Les Snead went all-in to secure a home-field Super Bowl appearance at SoFi Stadium, trading for reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett and pairing him with secondary upgrades Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson. To top it off, three-time DPOY Aaron Donald ended his retirement to rejoin the front seven.

However, following a 27–7 opening-night blowout loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia, the “superteam” narrative was upended. Garrett finished his Rams debut with zero tackles—just the fourth time in 135 career games he was held completely statless—and confessed postgame that his lingering knee injury made him “the worst version of myself”. The situation worsened when medical evaluations confirmed Garrett requires arthroscopic knee surgery, placing the superstar pass-rusher on injured reserve.

😈 pic.twitter.com/O4THet0urU

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) September 11, 2026

Rams Offseason & Season Status Tracker	Offseason Target / Addition	Current Operational Status
Pass Rush Anchor	Edge Myles Garrett (Trade via CLE)	Placed on Injured Reserve; undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery.
Interior Defense	DT Aaron Donald (Unretired)	Did not travel to Australia; set for Week 2 home debut vs. NY Giants.
Secondary Upgrades	CB Trent McDuffie & CB Jaylen Watson	Active; McDuffie solid, Watson allowed a Week 1 TD to Mike Evans.
Super Bowl Goal	Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium	0–1 Record; 4-week minimum IR period for defensive focal point.

How Los Angeles Can Salvage Its Championship Aspirations

The Aaron Donald Reinforcement: The immediate silver lining for defensive coordinator Chris Shula is the return of Aaron Donald. Donald stayed home from the Australia trip to continue conditioning, but he is cleared to make his season debut in Week 2 against the New York Giants. Donald’s presence alone forces double teams inside, freeing up secondary pass rushers Kobie Turner and Byron Young while Garrett recovers.
Shift the Burden to Matthew Stafford and the Offense: With the defense adjusting to personnel changes, Sean McVay must lean heavily on his veteran offense. Managing game script, leaning on Kyren Williams’ ground attack, and utilizing quick-strike passes to Davante Adams and Puka Nacua will keep the defense off the field and mitigate pass-rush drop-offs.
Play for January, Not September: An 0–1 start combined with a four-to-six-week IR stint for Garrett is a bump, not a season-ending blow. The Rams’ priority must be securing a playoff berth while ensuring Garrett returns at 100% health for the stretch run.