The Myles Garrett, Aaron Donald Pairing Remains on Hold

Sep 10, 2026; Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Los Angeles Rams defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during practice at Marvel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Myles Garrett, Aaron Donald Pairing Remains on Hold

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Kevin Parrish Jr. | Last updated Sep 14, 2026 6:17 PM ET

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The chance to watch Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald as teammates created plenty of anticipation, heading into the Los Angeles Rams’ season.

Never had an NFL team sport two Defensive Player of the Year winners on the same defensive front until the Rams changed that, acquiring Garrett in a blockbuster offseason trade. That acquisition, along with other moves influenced by head coach Sean McVay, helped lure Donald out of retirement.

Waiting for the debut together

Dec 3, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald (99) enters the field before the game against the Cleveland Browns at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Now the question is, when will everyone see the tandem? It didn’t happen in Week 1 during the Rams’ 27-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia. The team held Donald out of the season opener to avoid rushing his return. Donald came out of retirement to join the Rams’ 2026 Super Bowl pursuit, just one week before the matchup.

Garrett will have arthroscopic knee surgery and miss at least the next four games against the New York Giants, Denver Broncos, Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills, putting him on track to make his Rams home debut in Week 6 against the Arizona Cardinals.

The move is for the best. Garrett didn’t look healthy in his Rams debut, registering a doughnut across the board in sacks, quarterback hits and tackles. Meanwhile, Donald is expected back by the time Garrett returns, though it’s unclear exactly when that will be.

Speaking to reporters this week, McVay didn’t say whether Donald will play in the Week 2 Monday Night Football home-opener against the New York Giants.

Aaron Donald 2026 debut remains uncertain

“We haven’t decided that yet,” McVay said. “He’s going to continue to work his process and we’ll see what that looks like.”

One thing is for sure. It will be a while until the world witnesses Garrett and Donald together chasing opposing quarterbacks. But when it does happen, it should be both players operating at their best.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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