Rams HC Sean McVay insists team is being cautious after Myles Garrett misses another practice

Los Angeles Rams defensive end Myles Garrett missed his third straight practice Sunday due to lower-body soreness, but head coach Sean McVay insists those absences shouldn't ring alarm bells. 

During a news conference, McVay explained that the team is holding Garrett out of practices as a precaution. 

Sean McVay expands on Myles Garrett's absences

"We are erring on the side of caution," McVay said. "He's had checkups, all that kind of stuff, so there's nothing to worry about. It's more about how we keep him as fresh as possible while getting the necessary callous, if you will, to feel as good as possible, so that when we do play in Australia, he's ready to play and do his thing. But there's no reason for concern, and I look forward to getting him back out there."

The Rams face the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne during their regular-season opener on Sept. 10 (Netflix, 8:35 p.m. ET). The squad will fly roughly 15 hours and 50 minutes for that tilt, covering more than 7,000 miles.

That better explains why the Rams are being overly cautious with Garrett. The 30-year-old never played in fewer than 10 games in a season during his first nine seasons with the Cleveland Browns. Subjecting him to more wear and tear before the international trip wouldn't make sense for L.A. Not to mention, he doesn't need the extra reps. 

Garrett is coming off a career year, in which he won his second Defensive Player of the Year Award. In 17 games last season, he recorded an NFL record 23 sacks.