Trent Williams neutralized the Rams' star acquisition in a dominant victory, leaving the reigning Defensive Player of the Year statless and sparking questions about the massive offseason signing.
The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday, 27-7. New Los Angeles edge rusher Myles Garrett was nowhere to be found.
The Rams made a splash this offseason in signing Garrett in a move that many believed would transform their entire defense. That transformation has not yet come to fruition after the Niners ran unimpeded to victory over the Rams.
Many 49ers' fans wanted their team to sign Garrett, and certainly the top edge rusher should regain his productivity at some point this season. But the Niners had the perfect answer to Garrett.
San Francisco may not have made that impact edge rush signing many hoped that they would make, but they did make an important addition on the other side. The 49ers re-signed offensive tackle Trent Williams to a two-year contract to keep him as quarterback Brock Purdy's blind side protector. Early returns suggest that was the right move.
Daniel Sanya of The Big Lead opines that Garrett was one of the biggest losers of his first game of 2026. He discussed Williams' shut down of one of the league's best pass rushers on Thursday. Here's some of what Sanya had to write about the stunning performance.
"Garrett’s Rams debut could hardly have gone worse.
The reigning Defensive Player of the Year finished without a tackle, sack or quarterback hit. San Francisco’s offensive line, led by Trent Williams, repeatedly prevented Garrett from becoming the disruptive force Los Angeles acquired him to be.
Garrett was also limited at times because of the knee issue he carried into the game. He later described the performance as the “worst version” of himself and acknowledged that he needs to recover and return to the player he knows he can be (h/t Greg Beachman of The Associated Press)
The concern is not that Garrett suddenly became a bad player, but the Rams paid a massive price to acquire him and games like this are supposed to be where he changes the outcome. San Francisco made sure he never got the chance."
Sep 11, 2026; Melbourne, AUS; Los Angeles Rams defensive end Myles Garrett (95) plays defense against the San Francisco 49ers at Melbourne Cricket Ground. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn ImagesIt's not that Garrett never got to the quarterback. It's that he got there after the quarterback got rid of the football.
The Rams were hoping that by adding Garrett they would be able to wreak havoc on opposition and shut down the likes of the 49ers and Seattle Seahawks, the team's biggest challengers to win the NFC West. That didn't happen on Thursday.
There's still plenty of football to play, but for now, the Niners are not hurting too bad from Garrett's presence on the field. San Francisco will hope to stay in the win column as they return back to the United States for the rest of their early-season slate.
