Myles Garrett Says Rams Debut Was His 'Worst Game Ever'
Myles Garrett made his Rams debut Thursday night at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the first NFL regular season game ever played in Australia, and the 49ers won. Then he had things to say about his own performance.
"This was the worst version of myself that I've put out there," Garrett told reporters after the loss. The NFL's No. 1 ranked player, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, the man the Rams gave up three picks and Jared Verse to acquire, and he is the first one calling himself out.
Garrett had dealt with a knee issue throughout training camp and missed most of the preseason. He was cleared to play just days before the opener and coach Sean McVay had declared him "ready to go" heading into the game.
He played but was clearly not at full capacity, limited in his explosiveness off the line and unable to generate the kind of consistent pressure that made him a 23-sack monster in his final season in Cleveland.
The 49ers, meanwhile, got their revenge for last season. San Francisco won the NFC Championship in 2025 before losing the Super Bowl to Seattle.
They opened 2026 in front of a record Australian crowd by beating the team that acquired Garrett specifically to get past them.
Week 2 is at home against the Giants. Aaron Donald, who came out of retirement this summer, was not cleared to play in Melbourne. The Rams' full defensive artillery has not yet been assembled.
