Chris Shula on Myles Garrett’s role: Rams aim to deploy the league’s Defensive Player of the Year in his best “comfort zone”

Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula said the team does not yet have a finalized picture of exactly where Myles Garrett will line up or how frequently he will be used in specific alignments. Shula’s larger point was simpler: the Rams expect Garrett to create pressure in ways that fit his natural game, regardless of the particular package or look. The coaching staff, he indicated, is focused on maximizing Garrett’s effectiveness rather than forcing a single template.

Shula described Garrett as a quarterback-hunter who can succeed “wherever and however” the Rams deploy him. That framing matters because it suggests Los Angeles is planning for multiple paths to pressure, even if the exact snap-by-snap plan is still being formed. It also implies a confidence in the process of getting the ball to the quarterback-handling unit, not just a confidence in Garrett’s talent.

The remarks come with Garrett identified in the league context as the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. With that kind of status, the Rams are not treating him as a one-dimensional edge rusher who can be reduced to one role. Instead, Shula’s comments point to an approach designed to preserve the advantages that made Garrett the league’s top defender in the first place.

For teams building around an elite pass rusher, deployment is usually about balance. A clear example across the NFL is that the same player can be used as a pure edge rusher in one moment and then as part of a pressure concept that includes stunts, built-in blitz responsibilities, or quick changes intended to disrupt protection assignments. Shula’s “comfort zone” language indicates the Rams may lean into the instincts and habits that Garrett has already demonstrated work at a high level.

At the same time, Shula acknowledged uncertainty, at least publicly, about the specific “where” and “exactly how” of Garrett’s use. In practical terms, that often means coordinators are still working through personnel groupings, how their front fits with the rest of the linebacking and coverage plan, and how Garrett’s workload can be distributed across different game scripts. Even for a star, teams typically refine the plan during offseason installation and then again as the regular-season opponent scouting begins.

The Rams’ offseason priorities will be tested once they see how defenses and offenses respond to multiple looks built around Garrett. If opponents start to slide protection toward his side, the value of using him beyond a single alignment becomes clearer. Likewise, if offensive coordinators adjust by extra-blocking or chipping to limit his most productive angles, the Rams’ commitment to deploying him in a way that still feels natural to him will determine how often they can turn those adjustments into pressure elsewhere.

What to watch next is whether the Rams’ public language about Garrett translates into a consistent variety of rush paths during team practices and preseason work, and how opposing game planning changes once Garrett’s presence becomes a planning problem every week. Shula’s message suggests that the Rams believe the best version of Garrett is not just a role, but a function of putting him in the situations where he can make quick decisions and attack efficiently.

Any evaluation should be tempered by the coach’s own caution that the Rams “don’t yet know” the final answer. In other words, the plan may keep evolving, and the first weeks of the season are likely to provide the cleanest evidence of the actual approach.