Higbee (knee) will be on the PUP list to start the regular season, making him ineligible for at least the first four games, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. As expected, after Higbee suffered an ACL and MCL tear in his right knee during a playoff loss to the Lions on Jan. 14. He's been on the PUP list since the start of training camp, with no real updates on his progress apart from the official transactions. With Higbee out for at least four games and possibly longer, free-agent signing Colby Parkinson is the leader of a TE room that also includes Davis Allen and Hunter Long.
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Status
PUP-R - Knee - ACL + MCL - Surgery Expected Return: 2024-10-06Latest Tyler Higbee news
Team
Los Angeles Rams
Birthdate
1/1/1993 (31)
Status
Physically unable to perform
HT/WT
6'6", 255 lbs
Draft Info
2016: Rd 4; Pk (LA)
Birthplace
Clearwater, FL, USA
Position
TE
College
Western Kentucky
Experience
9 seasons
Career History
Los Angeles Rams
2016-Present
(9 seasons)
Higbee (knee) will be on the PUP list to start the regular season, making him ineligible for at least the first four games, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. As expected, after Higbee suffered an ACL and MCL tear in his right knee during a playoff loss to the Lions on Jan. 14. He's been on the PUP list since the start of training camp, with no real updates on his progress apart from the official transactions. With Higbee out for at least four games and possibly longer, free-agent signing Colby Parkinson is the leader of a TE room that also includes Davis Allen and Hunter Long.
Coach Sean McVay said Tuesday that Higbee (knee) will start training camp on the active/PUP list, Cameron DaSilva of USA Today reports. Higbee's placement on the PUP list figures to be made official without much delay. The veteran tight end remains without a timetable to return as he works his way back from a torn ACL and MCL suffered back in January. Higbee can come off the active/PUP list at any time through camp and the preseason, but if he ends up on the reserve/PUP list while final roster cuts are made, he'll be required to miss at least the first four games of the regular season.
Higbee, who is bouncing back from a torn ACL and MCL, remains without a timetable for a return to action, Cameron DaSilva of USA Today reports. Higbee hurt his knee during the Rams' wild-card loss to the Lions on Jan. 14, and given the timing and nature of the injury, it seems likely that the tight end will start training camp on the PUP list. Beyond that, added context regarding Higbee's chances of suiting up early on this season should arrive once he approaches a return to the practice field, but if he's unavailable come Week 1, Colby Parkinson, Davis Allen and Hunter Long would be in line to handle Los Angeles' TE duties out of the gate in 2024.
Rams general manager Les Snead confirmed Wednesday that Higbee (knee) has had surgery to address a torn ACL and MCL, but a timetable for his return is still uncertain, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports. Higbee suffered ligament damage to his right knee during the Rams' wild-card playoff loss to the Lions on Jan. 14, after taking a low hit on the offense's final drive. The timing of his injury puts his status for Week 1 of the 2024 season in serious doubt, and likewise makes him an unlikely candidate to be cleared for the start of training camp in late July. Behind the 31-year-old veteran on the depth chart are Davis Allen, Hunter Long (knee) and Brycen Hopkins, all of whom now look like candidates to begin the 2024 season in expanded roles, barring other additions to the tight-end room.
Initially, the Rams included Higbee on their list of Week 12 inactives, but there was a mistake in submitting them, and instead defensive end Earnest Brown will be a healthy scratch. Higbee thus will handle his customary role as the team's top tight end, which so far has yielded a cumulative 27-303-0 line on 46 targets in 10 games while logging at least 86 percent of the offensive snaps on a weekly basis.
Despite playing a typical 91 percent of the snaps on offense, the veteran tight end saw a season-low one target and failed to make a catch for the first time since Week 12 in 2022. Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reported after Sunday's game that coach Sean McVay said that Higbee has been "fighting through a lot of stuff, and is playing with something that restricts his hand on his right thumb." Higbee also appeared to injure his left hand during the game as well, which could help explain the steep downturn in performance. The Rams' bye in Week 10 couldn't come at a better time with Matthew Stafford (thumb) also on the mend, with Higbee looking to recover in time for a Week 11 conference showdown with the Seahawks.
The 20-yard catch by Higbee on the Rams' first drive actually tied or eclipsed his receiving total in any of his last three contests, and the veteran accumulated the most yards, targets and receptions in any game since Week 4. The Rams' wideouts struggled against a stout Cowboys defense, leaving Higbee and running back Darrell Henderson to lead the team in receiving yardage. Notably, Higbee did receive two of backup Brett Rypien's 10 targets after Matthew Stafford left with a thumb injury, and he could act as a safety valve for Rypien in Week 9 versus Green Bay if Stafford is forced to miss any time.