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TE Tyler Higbee is not prepared to play for the Rams, so who will be?

Even though Tyler Higbee is not ready to go, the LA Rams have some excellent option at TE who are.

By Bret Stuter

NFC Wild Card Playoffs - Los Angeles Rams v Detroit Lions, Tyler Higbee, Kerby Joseph
NFC Wild Card Playoffs - Los Angeles Rams v Detroit Lions, Tyler Higbee, Kerby Joseph / Gregory Shamus/GettyImages
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The LA Rams have started training camp. Well, most of the LA Rams have started training camp. As expected, starting tight end Tyler Higbee is not ready to go yet. After suffering a brutal injury in the Wild Card Round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs that forced Higbee to surgically repair his damaged knee, Tyler Higbee is not yet medically cleared to resume football activities.

That is unfortunate, because the Rams have started training camp.

And so, to nobody's surprise, the team has designated TE Tyler Higbee to the IR/PUP list already. The move not only ensures that Higbee is handled appropriately, as in he will only be able to perform football moves after given medical clearance, but opens a roster spot fort the team to consider additional player(s).

The team announced assigning Higbee to the Physically Unable to Perform list yesterday:

But don't look for the team to backfill the tight end room with a veteran or rookie tight end in response. After all, the team knew and anticipated that Higbee's recovery would take a rather long time to accomplish, and proceeded to sign veteran tight end Colby Parkinson as a result. But the team is not facing a new season with an injured starting tight end.

The team is also seldom-used reserve tight end Brycen Hopkins. Hopkins was drafted in 2020 to fill in for the expected loss of TE Gerald Everett, but never truly lived up to those expectations. As a result, Hopkins played a very limited role in the Rams offense, catching 17 of 23 passes for 243 yards, 12 first downs, and 0 touchdowns in four seasons.

So the Rams not only must be prepared to handle the absence of starting TE Tyler Higbee for an undisclosed amount of time to open the 2024 NFL season, but also to ensure that this team has a second tight end ready to play if the team has the opportunity to run a 12-personnel sub package on offense.

Okay. Two roles to fill. So who are likely to be counted on in 2024 to step up? Don't look now, but the team has some very talented players in the running. They are:

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