The Los Angeles Rams picked up an emotional win over the Minnesota Vikings in the NFL Wild Card round on Monday night after being forced to travel to Arizona due to the Southern California wildfires.
It was a true team win with everyone contributing, sending the Rams to the Divisional Round where they will take on the Philadelphia Eagles next Sunday.
Unfortunately though, the win over the Vikings came at a cost as tight end Tyler Higbee was forced to leave the game in the first half due to a chest injury.
Higbee got off to a great start before getting hurt, leading the team with five receptions for 58 yards despite playing less than a half. He apparently started to cough up some blood though and had to be transported to a nearby hospital to get his chest looked at.
It appears that Higbee is OK though and head coach Sean McVay is optimistic he will be able to play in Philadelphia on Sunday, via Stu Jackson of TheRams.com:
Sean McVay said Tyler Higbee (chest) was hospitalized last night because he was "spitting up a little bit of blood."
However, Higbee was able to travel home with the team last night and expects to play Sunday vs. Eagles
— Stu Jackson (@StuJRams) January 14, 2025
It’s been a tough year for Higbee after missing most of the season due to a torn ACL and MCL suffered in the postseason game against the Detroit Lions last January.
Higbee worked extremely hard to work his way back and finally looked like he was 100% healthy against the Vikings before hurting his chest.
It’s great to see that the injury is not serious though and Higbee should be able to play against the Eagles. The Rams will need all hands on deck to beat a tough Philadelphia team on the road and Higbee adds a different dynamic to L.A.’s offense.
The Rams’ other tight ends like Colby Parkinson, Hunter Long and Davis Allen have filled in admirably when Higbee has been out, but none of them are the receiving threats that the veteran is, even at this stage of his career.
Tyler Higbee wins one of Rams’ team awards
The Rams give out team awards at the end of every season and this year, Tyler Higbee received one of them despite not playing much.
Higbee won the Carl Ekern Spirit of the Game Award, which is given to the player who best exemplifies sportsmanship, ethic and commitment to his teammates. He was also the recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award, which goes to a player who is a role model of inspiration, sportsmanship and courage.
