Head coach Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams are preparing to get back one of their favorite targets in tight end Tyler Higbee. The veteran has missed the entire 2024 season thus far after suffering a torn ACL and MCL in their postseason game last year against the Detroit Lions.
Higbee had posted at least 44 catches in each of the previous five seasons and was a consistent part of the Rams offensive attack even through the transition from Jared Goff to Matthew Stafford. And he is finally set to return to the lineup on Sunday against the New York Jets.
His return comes at a perfect time, as the Rams are in control of their own destiny with regard to winning the NFC West. They currently hold the division title with three games to go and anything they can do to get more dynamic makes them an even scarier threat.
Of course, coming off of such a significant injury and time away, Higbee won’t be his full self right away. And McVay is using this week of practice to determine exactly how much the Rams will get out of Higbee on Sunday.
“Oh yeah. We have to get the plan together, figure out what that looks like, and what’s the best way to utilize that group as a whole. Obviously, it’s exciting to have the opportunity to get him back and what he means to our football team and what he can provide from a production [standpoint], but also just the presence of being out there. Those are things that we’ll definitely have to discuss and be smart about, what it looks like in terms of a target snap count and how is he continuing to progress with his workloads and things of that nature?”
McVay is perhaps one of the people in the organization most excited to get Higbee back, as he knows exactly what the veteran has been able to bring during his tenure.
“It’s great. I think it’s a tremendous credit, like we’ve talked about, to the work that he’s done behind the scenes, out here, and the influence effect, and impact really that he has on his teammates. It means a lot from just his overall leadership and then what he can provide on the grass.”
The Rams are setting themselves up to be a team no one wants to play this postseason. They have won seven of their last nine contests and have looked to be even better than the team that made a surprise postseason run last season.
Now, they get Higbee back in the mix to see if they can add another layer to their offense.
Rams haven’t discussed signing Odell Beckham Jr.
The Miami Dolphins’ 2024 season hasn’t gone to plan, and with a trip to the playoffs looking unlikely, the team released Odell Beckham Jr. The veteran wide receiver cleared waivers on Monday and is now free to sign with any team.
According to multiple reports, Beckham has a short list of teams he would like to sign with. Some believe the Rams would be a good fit, but McVay said the team has given no thought to the possibility.
“That’s not something that we’ve talked about yet. You know the respect that I have for him, but that hasn’t been something that we’ve discussed,” McVay recently told reporters.
