2 Rams projected starters race to recover, but how ready are their backups?

Timetable for Tyler Higbee remains unclear

The other shroud of mystery surrounds the timetable for starting tight end Tyler Higbee's recovery. While he was injured in the Wild Card Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs against the Detroit Lions, he did have successful surgery to repair his torn ACL in late February 2024. But after the surgery, the team was unable to share a timetable for his progress and recovery to return to football related activities.

But based on some disclaimers that the team did share, the team is fully prepared to start the 2024 NFL season be designating Higbee on the IR/NFI list. That type of designation means that Higbee will miss at least four of this season's 17 games.

But even if he does return, how effective will he play? I don't think it's controversial to point to his 2019 superb season as the apex of his NFL career, an elite showing that he has never quite been able to replicate since. As a result, the team's precautionary preparations of drafting rookie TE Davis Allen to take over for the underwhelming veteran TE Brycen Hopkins, and the signing of free agent TE Colby Parkinson have a bit of strategy to them.

The Rams have long relied upon that off/on switch in Tyler Higbee's offensive output, using him as a blocker and route-running decoy for much of the game. But occasionally flipping that switch from supporting cast to center stage as main character, a role that he can instantly flourish at. Well, at least he could in previous seasons.