Fortunately, Garrett’s sense of urgency matches that of Snead and coach Sean McVay. After falling painfully short of the Super Bowl last season thanks to a four-point loss in the NFC Championship Game to the Seattle Seahawks, they’re more motivated than ever to make sure they get there in 2026. That’s what the Garrett trade suggests, a message Garrett was happy to receive when he agreed to waive his suspension — a mild concern of Snead’s — and join the Rams.
“From the beginning, it’s always been about winning. It just boils down to the timing of everything,” Garrett said. “What does it realistically look like to be a winner right now? And to have the opportunity to do it right away, it was an opportunity that was too hard to pass up. I always have love in my heart for Cleveland, the city and the community, all the players and everything else. But the opportunity to come here and make an immediate and profound impact on this team, it was something that I just had to go with.”
After spending the last two seasons in Cleveland listed as having a combined total of just eight wins, Garrett is joining a team that is ready to win now. Snead and McVay attacked their biggest weakness — their secondary — by trading for Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie and giving him an extension. They also signed former and current McDuffie teammate Jaylen Watson to bolster the back end before reeling in the biggest fish of all in Garrett.
Mixing this unit with an explosive early-and-often scorer means Garrett will likely find himself with more quarterback-hunting opportunities than he had in Cleveland the last two years. Fresh off an age-23 season, Garrett knows he could have an even better chance to make history during the Rams’ title run in 2026.
“I mean that played into the decision as well,” Garrett said. “Knowing that I have the ability, you know, late in the game to stick my ears up, not just because we have to make a play but because we have the lead and it’s obvious going down. To be able to make that game changer to win the game for us. Those are things that appeal to me, I’m sure appeals to all of us as D-linemen. It’s something I’m really looking forward to.”
Now it’s about responding to those intentions, with Garrett wearing his new colors: Rams royal and sun.
“On paper, I’m sure things look good. But we have to go out there and do our best,” Garrett said. “It starts on the field, it starts in the classroom. We’re not going to take any day for granted, we’re not going to look at any odds or favorites.
“We are going to win every game day by day.”