SAN FRANCISCO — News that the Los Angeles Rams had completed a trade for Cleveland defensive end Myles Garrett spread quickly through the San Francisco 49ers facility last week. Safety Malik Mustapha stopped quarterback Mac Jones in a hallway to show him a post on X, and Jones at first assumed it was not real before accepting the report. “I was like, ‘Shoot, that’s crazy.’ Myles is a great player,” Jones said.
Reactions around the building ranged from disbelief to a resigned laugh, reflecting the NFC West’s ongoing arms race. “It sucks,” said left tackle Trent Williams, acknowledging the added difficulty for the 49ers, Seattle and Arizona, all of whom will face Garrett twice per season under divisional scheduling.
The matchup against Garrett is an immediate priority: the 49ers will be on the other side for Garrett’s first game in blue and yellow on Sept. 10 in Australia. Offensive line coach Chris Foerster said the trade landed like a “little gut punch,” and he arrived at the office early the next day to rewatch film of how San Francisco handled Garrett last season. “He’s an outstanding football player and he’s going to be a challenge for us to take care of,” Foerster said.
Foerster cited the Niners’ November 30, 2025, game at Cleveland as a recent blueprint. San Francisco double-teamed Garrett on 29.6% of his pass-rush attempts in that 26-8 victory. Garrett finished that game with five tackles, two for loss, one sack, six pressures and three quarterback hits, and he posted a 16.7% pass-rush win rate — below his 2025 season average of 20.6% — while Niners quarterback Brock Purdy averaged 3.48 seconds to throw.
Foerster and coach Kyle Shanahan have developed plans in the past to blunt Garrett’s impact. Their preparation will draw on previous meetings, including a 2019 game in which Garrett registered a 40% pass-rush win rate while San Francisco quarterbacks released the ball faster. In three career games against the 49ers, Garrett has totaled 10 tackles, three for loss, two sacks, nine pressures, five quarterback hits and a 26% pass-rush win rate, according to team records.
