LOS ANGELES (AP) — Myles Garrett will not practice with the Los Angeles Rams this week, and the star defensive end will miss his seventh consecutive game for his new team on Sunday.
Coach Sean McVay said Wednesday that the Rams will not open the practice window this week for Garrett, who has been on injured reserve since undergoing knee surgery last month following his zero-tackle debut for the Rams in Australia.
Garrett has yet to make any impact at the halfway point of his first season with the Rams (3-4), who traded edge rusher Jared Verse and three high draft picks to Cleveland for the reigning AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year. McVay hasn't given any timetable for the return of the superstar who was expected to be a focal point of the Rams' revamped defense.
“I know it's frustrating, but he's making good progress, and we're just on a week-to-week basis right now,” McVay said.
McVay said Garrett hasn't had a setback in his recovery, and he doesn't think Garrett will need additional surgical procedures.
Garrett was a remarkably durable pro with the Browns following his rookie season in 2017, missing only a handful of games or practices due to injuries over the ensuing eight years. He played in at least 16 games in each of the past five seasons.
The absence of both Garrett and Verse clearly has hurt the Rams' pass rush. Los Angeles has only 10 sacks this season, fewer than all but four teams and far off the pace from last season's 47 sacks.
McVay also said receiver Davante Adams underwent surgery on his hamstring injury, and the Rams are optimistic he will return close to the six-week minimum projected absence.
“He tells me, which I believe, that he's Wolverine,” McVay said with a grin.
Tight end Terrance Ferguson won't return to practice from injured reserve this week, keeping him out for a fifth straight game with an ankle injury. Tight end Colby Parkinson, who has taken a large offensive role in Ferguson's absence, didn't practice Wednesday due to a rib injury that repeatedly sent him to the sideline last weekend during LA's win in Las Vegas.
The Rams also got some good news on their lengthy injury list: Star cornerback Trent McDuffie returned to practice on a limited basis nearly three weeks after he injured his groin in practice and missed the past two games, while linebacker Nate Landman is out of the concussion protocol and back to full participation in practice after missing one game.
Long snapper Joe Cardona is recovering from an ankle injury, prompting the Rams to re-sign Jake McQuaide to their practice squad. The 38-year-old McQuaide earned two Pro Bowl selections during a decade as the Rams' long snapper in St. Louis and Los Angeles, and he returned to the team midway through last season.
___
