Los Angeles Rams defensive end Myles Garrett is expected to play Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals despite sitting out Friday’s practice, while cornerback Trent McDuffie is listed as questionable with a back injury, coach Sean McVay said.
Garrett was limited in practice earlier in the week and held out entirely on Friday because of a knee injury that had sidelined him for seven games before he returned last Sunday. In that game, a 20-13 win over the Washington Commanders, he recorded three sacks and forced a fumble while playing 61.5% of the defensive snaps.
“He’s had a really good week,” McVay said. “Played a bunch of snaps, and expect him to be able to build on that. But we’re being smart with him.”
Garrett said he was largely satisfied with his return performance, though he felt he needed to build up his endurance and sharpen his get-off time off the line.
“I’m sure Next Gen or PFF or somebody would tell me it wasn’t too bad,” Garrett said. “It felt terrible to me.”
McDuffie missed last week’s win over Washington with the back injury, a victory that pushed the Rams above .500 for the first time this season at 5-4. McVay said he is optimistic McDuffie will play provided he came out of Friday’s practice feeling good.
“He was rolling, you know, doing a lot of good stuff yesterday,” McVay said.
A Deepening Injury Crisis
The uncertainty surrounding Garrett and McDuffie, two of the Rams’ marquee offseason additions, reflects a broader injury crisis that has tested a team that opened the season as a Super Bowl betting favorite. On Thursday, the Rams placed star wide receiver Puka Nacua on injured reserve to free up a roster spot — a reversal from earlier in the week, when McVay had cited a shortage of remaining IR slots as a reason to hold off on such moves.
“Some things changed where we needed that spot because of all the moving pieces,” McVay said, adding that Nacua’s recovery timeline from knee and toe injuries has not changed.
Safety Kam Curl is questionable with a toe injury but is expected to play, according to McVay. The same outlook applies to the team’s tight ends — Colby Parkinson (ribs), Tyler Higbee (illness) and Davis Allen (oblique) — all of whom are needed to bolster the passing game with top receivers Nacua, Davante Adams (hamstring) and Jordan Whittington (back) all on injured reserve.
Tight end Terrance Ferguson (ankle/hamstring) and left guard Steve Avila (hamstring) have already been ruled out for Sunday.
The matchup is a rematch of an Oct. 18 upset, when the Cardinals beat the Rams 18-16 at SoFi Stadium after Chad Ryland kicked his sixth field goal of the game as time expired.
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