Kam Curl envisions a “legendary” Rams defense after Myles Garrett addition

The Rams defense has a new centerpiece entering the 2026 season, and safety Kam Curl thinks the group can rise beyond normal expectations. In comments covered by Yahoo Sports, Curl framed the Los Angeles defense as capable of becoming “legendary,” with a specific emphasis on the impact of the Myles Garrett trade.

Garrett’s move to the Rams, reported as occurring on June 1, is already shaping how the locker room talks about the coming year. Curl’s optimism centers on what the addition changes immediately, not just in talent terms but in the way a defense plays with a more aggressive mindset when it believes a pass rush can take over games.

Curl’s view is rooted in the idea that elite individual disruption can become unit momentum. When the pass rush can create constant pressure, secondary players often get more chances to make plays on the ball, to anticipate routes, and to force quarterbacks into less comfortable reads. Curl’s statement suggests he sees Garrett as the kind of force that can help turn those downstream effects into identity-level performance.

The Rams’ postseason goals naturally heighten the stakes for how that identity develops. The same Yahoo Sports report also characterizes Los Angeles as a Super Bowl betting favorite for 2026, and links that label to the Garrett trade as a major reason why. For a team built to compete immediately, the takeaway is that the defense is expected to matter in the biggest weeks, not just the regular season.

Even with optimism inside the organization, the NFL’s reality is that defenses succeed for a mix of reasons, including health, scheme fit, and how quickly new pieces learn each other’s timing. Curl’s comments indicate belief and confidence, but the performance on the field will still determine whether the “legendary” language translates into results across a full schedule.

As the 2026 season approaches, the most important watch point is whether Los Angeles can convert the early excitement into consistent game-changing plays. That means looking for how the Rams pressure gets distributed, how quickly the unit tightens its communication, and whether the defense sustains the kind of pressure that forces opponents into predictable, mistake-prone situations.