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Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay watches over his players at practice during NFL football training camp Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026, in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n
Wally Skalij\/AP Photo\/Wally Skalij<\/p>\n
LOS ANGELES (AP) \u2014 Tyler Higbee has been with the Los Angeles Rams long enough to see teammates come and go, some under surprising circumstances brought about by the organization\u2019s ruthless pursuit of winning.<\/p>\n
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Despite being the team\u2019s longest-tenured player, there were no guarantees the veteran tight end would be back for his 11th season until signing a two-year extension in March. Now, Higbee is ready to justify the Rams\u2019 continued trust in him.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI understand how rare it is to be in the same position or on the same team for as long as I have been,\u201d Higbee said. \u201cI don\u2019t take that lightly so I give everything I\u2019ve got. I try to be the best I can, best teammate, best player. I come in here and I work every day and I expect to earn it. I don\u2019t feel like I\u2019m just going to be here because I\u2019ve been here that long.\u201d<\/p>\n
Head coach Sean McVay called Higbee \u201cthe greatest tight end in Rams history.\u201d He is the franchise career leader at the position in receptions (386), yards receiving (3,949), and touchdown receptions (27).<\/p>\n
But at 33-years-old and having dealt with multiple injuries over the previous two seasons, it would not have been a surprise if the organization moved on from Higbee. The Rams have been willing to let bigger names go, even if meant absorbing hits in terms of finances or draft assets.<\/p>\n
Bringing back Higbee is a reflection of his versatility, which is particularly useful as the Rams have significantly expanded their use of multiple tight end sets in the past year.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThe beauty is that he\u2019s got the ability to be a real contributor in the pass game, in the run game,\u201d McVay said. \u201cHe can play in line. He can be a move player for us, and he\u2019s also shown proficiency as a protector.\u201d<\/p>\n
McVay capitalized on the varied skill sets of Higbee, Colby Parkinson, Terrance Ferguson and Davis Allen to embrace three tight end personnel to great effect last season. It was a major change from McVay, whose Los Angeles tenure had been defined by an almost exclusive reliance on using three wide receivers, one tight end and one running back.<\/p>\n
Higbee had 25 receptions for 281 yards and three touchdowns in 10 games, and Parkinson, Ferguson and Allen also had at least 200 yards receiving and three or more scores. Rams tight ends combined to catch 17 of Matthew Stafford\u2019s 46 touchdowns during his MVP season.<\/p>\n
Having had a healthy offseason under his belt, Higbee expects to be even more productive. He sustained a serious knee injury in a wild-card playoff game in January 2024 and was limited to three games that fall while also recovering from shoulder surgery. A ankle injury sidelined him for much of the second half of the 2025 campaign.<\/p>\n
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By re-signing Higbee and drafting Max Klare from Ohio State in the second round, the Rams have the depth to continue to refine those tight end heavy packages for the upcoming season and years to come.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith getting all the guys on the field and some of the 13 personnel stuff, the more we can do, the more guys we can get out there,\u201d Higbee said. \u201cWe had a great group, a great year last year, and we\u2019re working to build on that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Notes: DE Myles Garrett did not practice for the third straight day. McVay said Garrett is dealing with soreness in his \u201clower half\u201d but does not believe the ailment is serious.<\/p>\n
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