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Is Tyler Higbee playing today? Full injury update for Bills vs Rams tight ends

The Rams have many tight ends, but only one Tyler Higbee

ByBret Stuter|
NFC Wild Card Playoffs - Los Angeles Rams Tyler Higbee v Detroit Lions Kerby Joseph
NFC Wild Card Playoffs - Los Angeles Rams Tyler Higbee v Detroit Lions Kerby Joseph | Gregory Shamus/GettyImages

The LA Rams have not benefited from starting TE Tyler Higbee all season long. That was no surprise, as he suffered a serious ACL injury in the Wild Card Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs against the Detroit Lions, and the recovery time was known to last well into the 2024 NFL season. So far, the Rams fans have been incredibly patient over Tyler Higbee's return.

He returned to practice last month.

And yet, the Rams roster is not hurting for tight ends in the meantime. Not only did the Rams front office go out and sign veteran TE Colby Parkinson, but the team welcomed veteran TE Hunter Long back to health. Meanwhile, second year tight end Davis Allen was incredibly impressive in 2023, and was eager to leverage his solid rookie season into a larger role in 2024.

Still, the Rams are not the only team in Week 14 with tight end questions. Let's take a look at the Buffalo Bills tight end room:

Buffalo Bills Dalton Kincaid

Despite showing up with a questionable status for Week 14, the Buffalo Bills are playing the odds by not playing star TE Dalton Kincaid this week. Kincaid missed Week 11 with a knee injury and has not returned to play for the Bills since. That continues this week, as per NFL Insider Ian Rapoport and Mike Garagolo:

In his absence, look for the Bills to continue to lean on backup tight end Dawson Knox. This in Knox's sixth season with the Bills, and he has caught 16 of 24 passes thrown his way for 238 yards and a touchdown. Even with his absence of late, Kincaid remains the third most proficient receiver on the Bills offense with 356 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

Los Angeles Rams update

Even as the LA Rams have returned starting tight end Tyler Higbee to practice, don't look for him to be rushed back to the football field. The Rams continue to experiment with their trio of tight ends, but have yet to settle on who may slide to the practice squad to make room for Higbe if and when he returns to the active roster.

For now, Higbee will not suit up to face the Buffalo Bills.

So how have the Rams meted out their offensive snaps where the tight ends are concerned? Let's take a look at a data table as per Lineups.com to see who has the edge so far this season:

Name

Week1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 7

Week 8

Week 9

Week 10

Week 11

Week 12

Week 13

Colby Parkinson

88%

81%

100%

87%

79%

64%

64%

42%

16%

37%

30%

36%

Davis Allen

8%

0%

0%

0%

4%

22%

39%

55%

80%

65%

48%

32%

Hunter Long

4%

19%

45%

21%

22%

29%

42%

34%

13%

35%

20%

34%

Totals

100%

100%

145%

108%

105%

115%

145%

131%

109%

137%

98%

102%

* To view all weeks, simply grab and drag the bar at the bottom of the data table to the right to see the final weeks of the season.

In terms of production, Colby Parkinson is hands down the most productive tight end currently active on the Rams roster. But he has been targeted nearly four times as often as either Hunter Long or Davis Allen. Despite the greatest share of snaps, Parkinson has yet to deliver to the level of his current contract. The team continues to experiment with the tight-end rotation, hoping that someone will step up.

Until Tyler Higbee returns, expect no changes to the dilemma. As always, thanks for reading.

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