LOS ANGELES — After appearing grumpy following the Los Angeles Rams’ first-round selection of backup quarterback Ty Simpson on draft night, head coach Sean McVay was back to his chippy, enthusiastic self after his team consummated one of the biggest trades in NFL history, securing the league’s best defensive player in former Cleveland Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett.
Garrett sat sandwiched between jovial Rams general manager Les Snead and McVay during the opening moments of his introductory press conference. And then the duo got down to the nitty-gritty of a franchise-altering move that had been in the works for months, according to Snead.
The Rams went from slight favorites over the defending champion Seattle Seahawks to the overwhelming pick to win the Super Bowl with Garrett in the fold. But Garrett isn’t getting too far ahead of himself, acknowledging his new team still must go out and do it on game days.
Garrett said he found out a week ago about the possibility of landing in Los Angeles via trade.
“On paper, I’m sure things look great, but we got to go out there and put the work in,” Garrett said at the podium. “It starts in the field, starts in the classroom, and we’re not going to take a single day for granted. We’re not going to be looking at any odds or favorites. We’re going to win each game day-by-day.”
Those wise words from Garrett were music to McVay’s ears.
“It’s one day at a time and I love everything that he said because I couldn’t be more in agreement,” McVay said. “We’re not going to let the outside narratives affect our ability to be courageous every single day and go swing and see what the hell happens.”
Garrett has had four head coaches, 16 starting quarterbacks and just one playoff win during his time with the Browns. He’s finished with double-digit sacks for eight consecutive seasons in Cleveland, won the Defensive Player of the Year twice and is third among active leaders in the NFL with 125.5 sacks.
An eight-time captain and five-time All-Pro, Garrett is the only player in league history to record at least 14.0 sacks in five consecutive seasons (2021-25).
With the move to the bright lights of L.A., Garrett finally has a transformative head coach in McVay that matches his superstar talent. During that same time Garrett has been in the league, McVay has led the Rams to seven playoff berths and two Super Bowl appearances, winning Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles.
The Rams have had eight winning seasons with four NFC West titles under McVay’s guidance. At 40 years old, McVay is currently the fifth-youngest coach in the NFL, but he’s also the second-longest tenured coach behind only Andy Reid. By moving to Los Angeles, Garrett gets the stability and sustainable success he coveted in Cleveland.
“They love playing the game and they love playing the game for this guy,” Garrett said, motioning toward McVay during the press conference. “That means a lot, having a player’s coach lead you onto that field and wanting to give the extra effort and go the extra mile for him and for each other. That’s what you feel going on to that field now. These guys are going to war, not just as individuals but as a team. That’s how you end up playing those games later into the year.”
McVay already has proof of concept that he can coax the most out of extremely talented, high-maintenance athletes. Jalen Ramsey, Von Miller, Eric Weddle, Odell Beckham Jr. and Matthew Stafford are all players brought in by McVay who performed to their full potential in helping to lead the Rams to a Super Bowl victory.
Garrett now joins that group as a hired gun for the Rams in a move made to help put this franchise over the top in winning a Super Bowl in their home stadium for the second time in league history.
Yes, I previously stated the Rams would miss the playoffs as one of my five bold predictions earlier this offseason. But I must amend my prediction after this seismic move in securing the services of a future Hall of Famer in Garrett.
And that move could lead to the return of another future Hall of Famer, as former Ram Aaron Donald is considering coming out of retirement. McVay was asked about the possibility during the press conference.
“Aaron’s a guy that I stay really close in touch with, and I know the respect that he has for Myles,” McVay said. “I talked to him about the opportunity to be able to bring [Garrett] on board. If Aaron decides he desires to mud them off on the age of 35, I guess you he might nonetheless do it at a reasonably excessive clip.”
Garrett mentioned he watched highlights of the Rams’ fabled “Fearsome Foursome,” led by Corridor of Famers Deacon Jones and Merlin Olsen throughout the Rams’ heyday within the Sixties when he was a excessive schooler. Garrett is now able to chase that top bar set by these 4 and others like Donald.
“I see a place to solidify myself right here as properly among the many greats,” Garrett mentioned. “I nonetheless have loads of nice years in entrance of me and having the ability to cement that legacy not solely as a soccer metropolis right here in L.A., however as a person [winning Defensive Player of the Year] for a Tremendous Bowl and extra. These issues are undoubtedly urgent on my thoughts, and I’ve a little bit of urgency to do it and do it straight away.”
The Rams want Garrett at his greatest, they usually might need to verify he is enjoying at a Defensive Participant of the 12 months stage straight away. They’ve one of many hardest schedules within the league, beginning with a season opener in Australia towards their NFC West rivals, the San Francisco 49ers. That’s only the start of a five-game stretch that features video games on the Denver Broncos and Philadelphia Eagles, plus a house recreation towards the Buffalo Payments.
Garrett may have some assist round him, a minimum of, even because the Rams determined to let go of promising edge rusher Jared Verse. Byron Younger, who led the staff in sacks final season, will complement Garrett alongside the sting, whereas Los Angeles has a couple of different formidable gamers within the defensive inside (Kobie Turner, Poona Ford). After all, the Rams additionally made a significant swing to enhance their secondary this offseason, giving up a handful of draft picks (together with a first-rounder) for All-Professional cornerback Trent McDuffie earlier than signing his Kansas Metropolis Chiefs teammate, Jaylen Watson.
Nonetheless, Garrett would be the catalyst of the Rams’ protection, and McVay’s happy to have the two-time Defensive Participant of the 12 months main that aspect of the ball.
“He’s a ache within the ass to recreation plan towards and I’m glad we don’t have to try this anymore,” McVay mentioned. “He makes different guys round him higher and I do know he’s excited to come back in and be an enormous a part of this tradition and we will’t wait to get to work.”
