The Cleveland Browns, if they so desired, got their first opportunity to see what Myles Garrett looks like in another uniform when the Los Angeles Rams played the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night. If they did, they might not recognize what they saw.
Garrett did not have a sack or a quarterback hit for the Rams in their lackluster 27-7 loss to their NFC West rivals in Australia. San Francisco left tackle Trent Williams did a good job of handling the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, who posted an NFL record 23.0 sacks last season for Cleveland.
In the aftermath of that performance, analyst Anthony Lima said Garrett just got a reality check and that the grass may not be greener with a more talented and scrutinized team.
“I think Myles Garrett realized he’s famous, but he’s not like famous-famous-famous. When you’re a really good player for the Browns, that’s one thing, but when you’re on the supposed super team. Like, has Myles Garrett ever been the butt of this many jokes in his life? And he played for the Browns. The entire internet made last night about him. They made him such a focal point in the broadcast last night. He’s already talking about injuries. He barely practiced the last month,” Lima said.
"I think Myles Garrett realized he's famous, but he's not like…when you're a really good player for the Browns, that's one thing, but when you're on the supposed super team. He's already talking about injuries."
"Listen, it's as-is, no warranty."
🚨 @SportsBoyTony and… pic.twitter.com/NQzBCIda6O
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) September 11, 2026
Garrett did not even have a tackle, just the fourth time in his career, playing 40 total defensive snaps. In 27 pass-rush snaps, he did not have a quarterback pressure for the first time since 2018, according to Yahoo Sports.
Afterward, the 30-year-old said he was not 100 percent healthy and was compensating for a knee injury that caused him to miss multiple training camp practices. He also may not have adapted well to the Rams’ unorthodox travel plans that had them arriving in Australia less than 48 hours before kickoff.
Regardless, it was not what the Rams were expecting when they traded Jared Verse, a first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, and two other draft picks for Garrett this offseason as they loaded up their roster for a Super Bowl run. One of the perceived advantages for the Browns in making that deal was that they were replacing Garrett with a much younger player in the 25-year-old Verse.
Of course, there is plenty of time for Garrett to recover from his injury and the unique circumstances of his Rams debut. In addition, Verse has yet to make his regular-season debut for the Browns, who could struggle on defense in their opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.
But if the earliest returns are any indication, the Browns may have parted with Garrett at just the right time.
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