Why the 49ers are uniquely equipped to defend Myles Garrett

The San Francisco 49ers will have to face new Los Angeles Rams edge rusher Myles Garrett twice a year now, but this team possess a structural and tactical blueprint that makes them uniquely equipped to neutralize the NFL’s most terrifying defensive forces.

ESPN’s Nick Wagoner recently pointed out that the 49ers were adept at stopping former Rams star Aaron Donald and could deploy similar tactics against Garrett in 2026.

From 2020 until his retirement in 2024, Rams’ legend Aaron Donald played the Niners eight times and though he still made his presence felt often with a 21.1% pass rush win rate, 20 pressures and 10 quarterback hits, he had just one sack and a forced fumble in those games.

Much like with Donald, the 49ers and Shanahan proved adept at throwing extra attention at star pass rushers and preventing them from single-handedly wrecking games. Last season, the 49ers double-teamed Garrett on 29.6% of his pass rush attempts. Garrett still managed five tackles, two for loss, a sack and six pressures.

San Francisco has left tackle Trent Williams and Purdy excels at extending plays with his legs, both of which should help. But they’ll still have to devise a plan to make someone other than Garrett beat them.

To handle a rare athlete like Garrett, a team needs an equally rare physical equalizer. Williams provides exactly that. Even at age 38 (which he’ll be in before the 2026 season starts), Williams’ combination of rare lateral agility and overwhelming power allows the 49ers to leave him on an island more often than almost any other team in football, freeing up interior blockers to slide elsewhere.

The final puzzle piece is quarterback Brock Purdy. Even when Garrett beats a double-team, Purdy’s specialized skill set minimizes the damage. He excels at manipulating tight pockets, deploying a rapid-fire release, and extending plays with his legs when the pocket collapses. By refusing to hold onto the ball, Purdy ensures that even if Garrett wins a physical rep, he rarely gets the reward of a drive-killing sack.

It won’t be easy to prevent Garrett from taking over games. It’s simply what he’s done throughout his career. But the 49ers have had a lot of practice stopping dominant pass rushers, and they might have the requisite players to thwart the new Rams star.

This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Why the 49ers are uniquely equipped to defend Myles Garrett