Myles Garrett posts zeros across board in shocking Rams debut in defeat to 49ers

If you're looking for Myles Garrett 's name in the box score from his Los Angeles Rams debut, you can stop. You're not going to find it.

Like the rest of his Rams teammates, Garrett posted a dud Thursday night in a 27-7 shellacking at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers . It's a result that will reset expectations in a stacked NFC West and for the Rams in particular as the anointed preseason Super Bowl favorites.

But for Garrett, the effort was particularly jarring. The reigning, two-time Defensive Player of the Year who set the NFL's single season sack record last season failed to make an entry into the box score.

He didn't log a sack. He didn't log a quarterback hit. He didn't log a tackle. He didn't log a tackle assist. He didn't log a past defended. He certainly didn't force a fumble or recover one. It was not what the Rams or their fans were hoping for when they paid a premium price to acquire him from the Cleveland Browns in the offseason.

After the game, Garrett told reporters that he's not 100% from a knee issue that limited him in camp . He also acknowledged the obvious:

"This was the worst version of myself that I've put out there, and I've got to be better," Garrett told reporters, per the Associated Press' Greg Beacham .

This lack of pressure from the Rams defense in part allowed Brock Purdy and San Francisco 's offense to have their way.

The 49ers entered halftime with a 10-7 lead thanks to a 39-yard touchdown connection from Purdy to Demarcus Robinson in which Purdy had all time the time in the world to make the downfield throw.

After halftime, the 49ers blew the game open. They drove 51 yards on seven plays on the opening drive of the third quarter that ended with Purdy's second touchdown of the game. After a goal-line sand by San Francisco's defense, the 49ers marched 99 yards for another touchdown and a 24-7 lead. At that point early in the fourth quarter the game was all but over.

Purdy faced little to no pressure throughout the game and finished the contest without taking a sack. The result was a 25-of-34 passing day for 205 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interception.

It was the exact type of effort the Rams acquired Garrett to prevent. On Thursday, like most of the rest of his Rams teammaates, Garrett just didn't have it. He'll leave Melbourne having made literally no statistical impact in his first game as a member of the Los Angeles Rams.

Is it time to panic in Los Angeles? Certainly not. While rare, Garrett has posted these lines before. In fact, it was his fourth career game with zeroes across the board in the box score.

None of those previous three efforts from 2023 and 2024 prevented Garrett from being named first-team All-Pro or tarnished his repuation as arguably the best defender of his generation. And soon enough, he'll share a defensive line with Aaron Donald and do so back in the northern hemisphere.

There are certainly much better days to come for Garrett and likely for the Rams. But the way the Rams lost on Thursday was jarring and will raise questions about their once-presumed Super Bowl viability until they prove otherwise.

Doing so will require Garrett to rediscover his All-Pro form.