Rams’ Myles Garrett Trade Quietly Sets Up Josaiah Stewart for Bigger Role

Much of the focus when it comes to the Los Angeles Rams trading for edge rusher Myles Garrett has been how it affects the team’s chances at a Super Bowl. However, while Garrett will certainly increase the Rams’ odds at a Super Bowl, his arrival in Los Angeles will also affect a few players on the roster. Arguably the player most impacted by the acquisition of Garrett is edge rusher Josaiah Stewart.

Stewart was drafted last year in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft as a replacement for Michael Hoecht. Despite being a rookie, Stewart got plenty of playing time. HHis 33.3 percent snap rate on defense led the Rams rookie class, with Konata Mumpfield close behind at 33.04 percent on offense.

The rookie out of Michigan thrived in a rotational role as he finished with three sacks on the year. Stewart had 21 pressures on 165 pass rush snaps via PFF. He averaged one pressure every 7.86 pass rush snaps and had a higher win rate than Jared Verse in true pass sets.

Rams got to see a little more Josaiah Stewart towards the end of this game.

First play - Makes a nice stop crashing down in the run game.

Second play - Wins with his speed around the edge to create a pressure and almost a turnover. pic.twitter.com/xn4m8m2RzJ
— Blaine Grisak 💭 (@BGMediaOnSI) November 25, 2025

Whether it was Verse or Young included in the Myles Garrett trade, Stewart was always going to enter the 2026 season as the third edge rusher in the rotation. However, with Verse being traded, it opens the door for Stewart in 2027. The Rams' confidence in Stewart may be part of the reason why they were ok with trading Verse.

Heading into this next offseason, the Rams will have a decision to make with Byron Young. As it stands, his market value is $30 million per year, which is a number that the Rams likely will not be able to afford. If the Rams are unable to bring back Young, Stewart would slot in as the edge rusher across from Garrett.

Had the Rams included Young in the trade instead of Verse, this would not have been the case. Verse has three years left on his rookie contract if you include his fifth-year option. In a scenario where Verse wasn’t traded, Stewart likely would have been a rotational player for the entirety of his rookie contract.

It’s very possible that the Rams could draft or sign another edge rusher that ends up ahead of Stewart. However, with Garrett, the Rams could feel confident with Stewart. One thing that McVay brought up in Garrett’s introductory press conference was how he makes others around him better.

“He makes other guys around him better,” said McVay. “I know he's excited to come in and be a big part of this culture and we can't wait to get to work.”

In the same way that Aaron Donald had a positive effect on those around him, Garrett does as well. Stewart will get another full year to develop as a rotational edge rusher while playing behind and learning from Garrett.

It’s a great situation for Stewart and puts him on a path to be an eventual starter. If Stewart continues to develop, the Rams may have their edge pairing figured out following 2026.

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