Following the Los Angeles Rams‘ 27-7 loss to the rival San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia, on Thursday night (ET U.S. time), Rams pass-rusher Myles Garrett admitted that he “was the worst version of myself that I’ve put out there” during the game.
Garrett failed to record a single tackle, sack or pressure against the 49ers, but he also admitted he wasn’t fully healthy after he missed most of training camp and the preseason with knee swelling.
“When I was out there, I was a little more focused on myself and trying to stay healthy than what they were doing, and it showed. I wasn’t what I needed to be for my team,” Garrett specifically said.
Via a video shared on X (formerly known as Twitter) on Friday morning, NFL insider Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk and NBC Sports blasted head coach Sean McVay for playing Garrett in Australia. Florio also touched upon the matter for a Pro Football Talk article.
Should Rams have protected Myles Garrett from himself?
“Typically, players don’t play if concerns about their health become a distraction to the task at hand,” Florio wrote. “It’s fair to wonder why Garrett played — and why the Rams didn’t intervene and stop him from playing. It’s also fair to wonder whether the Rams knew about Garrett’s circumstances. If they had, the Rams may not have used him for six special-teams snaps, hopeful he’d show off his ability to block a kick, or two.”