49ers' blunt reaction to Rams' blockbuster trade for Myles Garrett? ‘It sucks'
The San Francisco 49ers' thoughts on one of NFL's best players joining the league's best division? About what you'd expect.
"It sucks," said left tackle Trent Williams.
Williams' teammates weren't quite as blunt when they addressed the media Wednesday, two days after the NFC West rival Rams traded for generational pass rusher Myles Garrett. But no one was offering a positive spin. Not even perpetually upbeat tight end George Kittle.
"Um," Kittle began before pausing for a few seconds, "good for them. I mean, nothing I can do about it. They traded for him for a reason."
Quarterback Mac Jones? He thought it was AI on Monday when safety Malik Mustapha showed him a social media post announcing that the Rams got Garrett.
"Kind of focused on us," Jones said. "But it doesn't make it easy, for sure."
No, not exactly the 49ers' best bring-it-on material. Of course, that's understandable. Who wants to provoke Garrett, a carved from granite, 272-pound QB harasser?
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A season after the Rams went 12-5 and lost 31-27 to division rival Seattle in the NFC Championship Game, they added Garrett, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, to a team headlined by QB Matthew Stafford, the reigning league MVP.
"That roster that they built there is incredible," Jones said.
And Garrett, 30, might be poised to top his indelible 2025 season that included an NFL-record 23 sacks, three more than the 49ers had as a team. At least that's according to Williams, 37, whose one-on-one duel with Garrett last year was his second since 2023. They'll meet again on Sept. 10 in the season opener.
"The scary part is he's still a young player, so he's still going to get better," Williams said. "I know it's scary after seeing what he did last year. But I'm never expecting to run into the same player. I know that when we see him Week 1 in Australia, he's probably going to be a little bit better than the last time I saw him."
Garrett is a seven-time All-Pro who has averaged 16.6 sacks over the past five seasons and earned two Defensive Player of the Year awards since 2023. His addition has intrigued former Rams All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald, 35, who announced his retirement after the 2023 season following a 10-year career in which he was a three-time Defensive Player of the Year. Donald has told media members that his former team's trade for Garrett had him pondering a return.
Garrett and Donald? A Rams Fearsome Twosome? Give the 49ers a moment. They're still digesting the news that a one-man wrecking crew has joined the NFC West.
"Just got to buckle up, man," Williams said. "It's going to be tough. I ain't the only one that's got to block him. It's (30) other teams that got that same news."
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