Rams' Myles Garrett 'on track to be activated ahead of' Week 9 game at Commanders

The Los Angeles Rams have been without star pass-rusher Myles Garrett ever since he needed arthroscopic surgery for a lingering knee injury following the Rams' season-opening loss to the rival San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia, back in September. 

It sounds like the streak of Garrett missing games is about to come to an end. 

Myles Garrett is back for the Rams

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo, Garrett is "on track to be activated" ahead of this Sunday's game between the 4-4 Rams and the 2-4-1 Washington Commanders at Washington's Northwest Stadium. 

Shortly after Garrett failed to record a single tackle, sack or pressure against the Niners, he said that what he displayed in his first game as a Rams player "was the worst version of myself that I’ve put out there." He missed most of training camp and the preseason with knee swelling, and he admitted after the matchup against San Francisco that he "was a little more focused on myself and trying to stay healthy than what they were doing" during that contest. 

Rams head coach Sean McVay was later ripped by fans and media members for allowing Garrett to play in the Australia game when it was clear the two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year wasn't 100 percent in Week 1. McVay seemingly had no problem with the fact that future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald wasn't yet ready to make his in-game return for the season opener following Donald's unretirement. 

It sounds like this Sunday will be the first time that Garrett and Donald play alongside each other during a game. 

Rams need a fully fit Myles Garrett through January (or February)

A Rams team that made multiple all-in moves this past offseason entered September as the overall betting favorites to win Super Bowl LXI this coming February. Without having Garrett in the lineup, the Rams fell to 2-4 before they notched back-to-back wins. 

As of Friday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Rams as 4.5-point road favorites over the Commanders. That said, the discomfort in his throwing elbow that Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford dealt with this week could be something to monitor through and beyond the second Sunday of November.