Myles Garrett is back in practice, but Rams fans shouldn't get too excited just yet

Finally, what Los Angeles Rams fans have waited to hear every week: Myles Garrett, sidelined since Week 1 after undergoing knee surgery, is returning to practice, head coach Sean McVay said Monday. 

That's great news, but it doesn't mean we'll see Garrett on the field this week, or even before the bye. The Rams have three weeks to either activate Garret as a member of the 53-man roster, or leave him on injured reserve for the rest of the year. 

Asked how much ramp-up time the star pass rusher would need, McVay hesitated to make any concrete estimates.

"You know, I want to be careful to even set any sort of expectations," said the Rams head coach. "I think just taking it a day at a time is going to be the best way that we can approach it. I think that's the right thing for him and really just to see how he responds. But I think it's a real positive that we're starting his clock.

That type of caution aligns with how the Rams have handled Garrett's recovery from the start. After a misunderstanding allowed Garrett to take the field in Week 1 when he probably never should have, they want to make sure he comes back at full strength, without the risk of re-aggravating the injury.

Rams could still hold out Myles Garrett until after the bye

The good news is that, unless Garrett has a setback, it's only a matter of time until the Rams have him back on the field. McVay called Garrett "a definitive yes" to return to practice this week, whereas tight end Terrance Ferguson is a case of "more likely than not." The team wouldn't have opened Garrett's three-week practice window if they didn't fully expect him ready to return by the end of the period. 

The timing, though, is perhaps telling. By starting Garrett's clock now, in Week 9, LA has bought him extra time to recover. If Garrett isn't ready to suit up this week or the game after, he'll have the Week 1 bye to further heal up before facing the Packers the following Wednesday. 

Of course, the defense would love to have him back before then. The Rams face the Commanders on the road this week, followed by a trip to Arizona. Obviously those aren't the most formidable of foes, but LA can't take anyone for granted. Obviously. They just lost to the Cardinals in Week 6. 

The pass rush could use the help. Until Week 8 against the Chargers, Byron Young, whose 4.5 sacks and 35 PFF pressures lead the team by a mile, hadn't gotten much help. 

On Sunday, though, Josaiah Stewart and Wesley Bailey each added their second sack of the season, with Aaron Donald creating some of those opportunities by creating pressure from the interior. With the Rams now missing Kobie Turner or Poona Ford on IR, offenses don't have anyone to gameplan for except Young and Donald.

In that context, the sooner Garrett returns the better, but LA also has to consider his long-term health and, potentially, the need to keep him fresh when the schedule gets harder post-bye. Of those opponents, only 3-5 Tampa Bay and Dallas don't look like playoff contenders. 

If he's not back until then, the Rams will need Stewart and Bailey to keep bringing the heat opposite Young.

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