McVay Still Doesn't Have an Answer on Garrett

As of Monday, Sean McVay said he didn't know whether Myles Garrett would practice this week. Tuesday came and went with no clarity. That's where things stand heading into Week 8 — the Rams' most significant defensive addition of the offseason is a knee injury with no return date attached to it.

Garrett was supposed to change what this defense could do. He's one of the premier pass rushers of his generation, the kind of player whose presence alone alters how opposing offenses prepare. The Rams brought him in precisely because they couldn't generate enough pressure on their own. That plan hasn't materialized. He was managing lower-body soreness as far back as training camp, and the knee issue that's kept him out has only extended the wait.

The timing is as bad as it gets. The Rams are 3-4, one game back of the final wild-card spot, with 10 games left and an elimination number of 10. They won Sunday, which matters, but the defense still needs what Garrett was supposed to provide. Josaiah Stewart is listed as the top edge rusher on the depth chart right now. That's not a knock on Stewart — it's just a reminder of the gap between what was planned and what's available.

At some point "we don't know" becomes its own kind of answer.