Myles Garrett Situation Raises Questions About How Rams Communicate Injuries

Throughout the Sean McVay era, the Los Angeles Rams have been one of the standout franchises in the NFL. However, if there is one area of criticism and one constant since 2017, it’s the Rams’ and McVay’s lack of transparency when it comes to injuries.

The latest example, of course, is how the Rams have managed and communicated the injury of Myles Garrett. After spending the entirety of training camp assuring the media that Garrett was simply being held out for precautionary reasons and the team was erring on the side of caution, the star defender was placed on injured reserve.

Rams Consistently Downplayed Myles Garrett’s Knee Injury

It’s very possible that the head coach doesn’t know everything when it comes to the exact specifics of injuries. However, when McVay was asked back on August 11 what knee was bothering Garrett, he said, “I’m not even sure.”

When it was seen that Garrett was wearing a sleeve on the knee, McVay either played dumb or was left out of the loop. “I didn't notice that he had a different sleeve on,” said McVay. “But he's making really good progress.”

That reached a boiling point following the loss against the San Francisco 49ers. While head coaches may not be as informed about player injuries during games, it’s unlikely they are completely unaware. McVay was asked whether Garrett was 100 percent after the game. “To my knowledge, ya,” said McVay. Minutes later, Garrett walked into the same media room and said, “No. This was the worst version of myself.”

McVay slightly backtracked on Monday, implying that he was at least somewhat aware of what was happening. “I know that he wasn't capable of being the player that he is,” said the Rams head coach. “We knew that we were managing a situation.”

However, heading into the game, nobody would have known that Garrett was managing anything other than a little soreness.

When Garrett missed three consecutive practices in August, McVay said, “He has a little soreness in his lower half, but nothing to worry about. We're erring on the side of being smart with him.” McVay went a step further and doubled down with the next question. “I understand and totally respect what you're saying, but we are erring on the side of caution. He's had checkups, all that stuff, so there's nothing to worry about,” said McVay.

One month after McVay said there was nothing to worry about, Garrett was placed on injured reserve. Between August 2 and August 17, McVay used the phrase, “erring on the side of caution,” when asked about Garrett four different times.

It would be one thing if this were the first time this has happened under McVay, but that hasn’t been the case.

Todd Gurley Situation Created Similar Questions

After Todd Gurley won the Offensive Player of the Year in 2017 and was on his way to winning it for a second consecutive season, his touches suddenly dropped following a knee injury in late 2018. McVay was adamant at the time that Gurley was healthy. From Weeks 1-15 during the 2018 season, Gurley averaged 22.5 touches per game. When he returned for the playoffs, he averaged 11.3, including just five touches in the NFC Championship Game against the New Orleans Saints.

McVay was adamant that Gurley was healthy. When he only had five touches in the NFC Championship Game, McVay blamed the ‘flow of the game’. That continued into 2019 when Gurley averaged 16.9 touches per game. That may still seem like a lot, but this was a player who averaged over 22 touches per game over the previous two seasons. McVay continued to lean on the ‘flow of the game’ response.

When Gurley had just 14 carries in a 20-13 win over the Cleveland Browns, McVay insisted that Gurley wasn’t on a load management program. “We're not doing anything like that,” McVay said. "It's more along the lines of each week presents a different approach. It's kind of the feel of the flow of the game."

The eye test very clearly showed otherwise.

Matthew Stafford Injuries Continued the Pattern

After the Rams won the Super Bowl in 2022, quarterback Matthew Stafford dealt with a situation with his elbow and at one point was given an injection. During the offseason, McVay called it just “a little soreness.” "I do know this, the way that he looked today, I don't think you would know that anything was going on," McVay said. The Rams head coach went as far as to blame normal wear and tear, “I think anytime that you’ve played as long and are as tough as he is, I don’t know if you’re ever truly pain-free.”

McVay raised eyebrows when he said Stafford’s elbow pain was “a little bit abnormal for a quarterback.” Despite spending the offseason downplaying the injury, McVay said after the season, “People forget what a big deal that was.”

Last offseason, the Rams and McVay continued delaying Stafford’s return to practice as he managed a back injury. Much like Garrett’s situation, the Rams were playing it safe with Stafford. “Ultimately, it’s about having him feel as good as possible mentally, physically, emotionally, going into Year 17,” said McVay at the time.

Both McVay and Stafford have noted since then that the Rams quarterback was very close to being placed on injured reserve.

It’s not abnormal for NFL coaches to remain coy when it comes to injuries. However, in the case of Stafford specifically, you can’t downplay an injury for two months and then come back six months later and say, “people forget how big of a deal that was,” when you said it wasn’t a big deal.

McVay has gotten himself into trouble at times by saying too much or not enough about injuries. In a way, it’s commendable that McVay is willing to fall on the sword for his player to protect their health. At the same time, that doesn’t mean he should be absolved from criticism for how those injuries are communicated.

Given how the Garrett injury was communicated, it’s fair to wonder whether the Rams mismanaged the situation. Had Garrett gotten surgery earlier in training camp, it’s possible he’s not on injured reserve and forced to miss at least the next four games. There’s also a legitimate question as to whether Garrett should have been active against the 49ers in the first place if he wasn’t ready.

So yeah, Myles Garrett should’ve been inactive vs. the 49ers.
— Rams Bros. (@RamsBrothers) September 13, 2026

Rams’ Injury Communication Deserves More Scrutiny

This isn’t to say that the Rams need to disclose every detail of every injury. However, there is a difference between protecting information and repeatedly downplaying situations that later prove to be much more significant. It makes it hard to trust what the coaching staff is saying when it comes to how they communicate injuries.

Gurley’s knee was about the flow of the game until it wasn’t. Stafford’s elbow soreness wasn’t serious until it was. Stafford’s back was the team being cautious before it was later revealed that injured reserve was a real possibility. Garrett is now the latest example.

It’s possible that the Rams handled Garrett’s knee exactly as they should have. There is no way to know that from the outside. However, that uncertainty is precisely the problem. When the public message repeatedly conflicts with what is eventually revealed, it becomes difficult to take anything the coaching staff says at face value when it comes to injuries.

McVay has earned plenty of trust for what he’s accomplished as a head coach. However, the way he has communicated injuries has been a recurring source of frustration.

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