LA Rams extend veteran TE Tyler Higbee through 2025

When the LA Rams pivoted from their 5-12 record and the 2022 NFL season to the 2023 NFL season, there was a lot of strategy already in place for the way that the Rams front office would engage in reassembling the Rams roster. That initially translated into the Rams roster keying on the retention of veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford, wide receiver Cooper Kupp, and defensive lineman Aaron Donald.

At the time, Rams GM Les Snead referred to them as 'weight bearing walls' who would not only keep the Rams competitive this season but would fast-track the development of young players around them this season. And that seemed to be where the matter stood heading into the 2023 NFL season. The question over Tyler Higbee's future with the team remained unanswered.

The LA Rams front office certainly targeted certain positions this offseason, and the tight end position was addressed in multiple ways. The Rams held two veteran tight ends on the last year of their respective contracts: Tyler Higbee and Brycen Hopkins. The Rams later added former Dolphins TE Hunter Long as part of the package received by trading away DB Jalen Ramsey.

The Rams then drafted TE Davis Allen out of Clemson University with the 175th overall pick in Round 5 of the 2023 NFL Draft. The LA Rams even signed a number of free agents to the position, headlined by former Indianapolis Colts tight end Nikola Kalinic. That's a lot of attention paid to the TE position.

Rams roster retains Tyler Higbee

Whether the Rams front office was actively seeking a starter at tight end for 2024 or not, the matter is now settled. The Rams roster will carry starter TE Tyler Higbee through 2025. So is this a 2-year or 3-year extension, as it has been referred to as both in the media. It's actually a 3-year extension, because the new terms for this deal cover 2023, 2024, and 2025. But since this new contract actually only adds two new years to Higbee's time with the Rams, some will refer to it as a 2-year extension.

So what does this extension look like?

This deal will carry Higbee through his 10th NFL season, all with the Rams. So far entering his eighth NFL season, Higbee has caught 317 of 465 passes for 3,239 yards and 20 touchdowns. While he has yet to catch a touchdown this season, he has reclaimed his 70.0+ percent catch rate in 2023, after it had fallen to 66.7 percent in 2022.

In fact, Higbee's 2023 NFL season is off to a tremendous start, as he has put up better-than-career-average numbers across the board. That is very promising after a below-average 2022 season. With this extension in place, the LA Rams are clearly expecting bigger and better things out of Higbee for years to come.