The Rams offense wasn’t the same without Tyler Higbee last season. How will he return in 2025?
Los Angeles Rams tight end Tyler Higbee has never been among the best at his position since being drafted in the fourth round in 2016. However, he has remained a consistent piece of the Rams offense and been a steady presence. When all is said and done, Higbee will likely go down as the best tight end in Rams history. As it stands, he has more than 150 receptions and 1500 yards than the next closest tight end.
What Higbee provides to the offense was never more evident than last season when the Rams were without him. After Kerby Joseph went low on Higbee in the NFC Wild Card game, tearing his ACL, the Rams were left in a spot where they had to sign Colby Parkinson and rely on development from Davis Allen. Hunter Long was also put into a larger role.
Without Higbee in the lineup from Weeks 1-15, Parkinson ranked 39th out of 43 qualifying tight ends in yards per route run at 0.82. He also ranked 36th in receiving yards per game with 20.6. The tight end position has rarely been a featured piece of the Sean McVay offense, but without Higbee, the Rams got away from using the tight end in the passing game altogether.
During Weeks 1-15, Parkinson ran a route on just 53.3 percent of the team’s dropbacks with a target of 9.3 percent. However, from Weeks 6-15, that dropped to just 36.7 percent with a target share of 4.5 percent. Davis Allen wasn’t any better with a route percentage of 37.7 percent and target share of 3.7 percent. Allen’s 0.34 yards per route ranked last among 61 tight ends. The tight end had completely disappeared from the Rams passing game.
Compare that to 2023 when Higbee ran a route on 73.6 percent of the team’s dropbacks and had a target share of 12.9 percent. Without Higbee in the lineup, it’s clear that McVay didn’t trust the tight ends in the passing game.
Higbee’s absence was especially felt in the red zone. Parkinson’s target per route in the red zone from Weeks 1-15 was 0.16 which ranked 34th among 38 qualifying tight ends. Parkinson also scored just one touchdown all season. Despite having 0.08 targets per route in the red zone in 2023, Higbee scored two touchdowns on his four red zone targets. In 2021, he scored five times.
It should be no coincidence that Higbee matched Parkinson’s touchdown total for the season in his first game back. In his five games, Higbee only ran a route on 43.8 percent of the team’s dropbacks, but had a target share of 16 percent and ranked second among tight ends in targets per route. Higbee’s 2.31 yards per route run was also sixth.
The Rams were cautious with Higbee’s return, but the 2025 season will be a full year since his injury. As the year progressed, it became clear that the Rams couldn’t replace Higbee with Parkinson. It became even more clear that McVay and potentially Matthew Stafford didn’t trust other tight ends, particularly Parkinson, in the passing game.
Entering his age 32 season and coming off of a major injury, it’s hard to predict how effective Higbee will be in the offense. He seemed to find success and fit back in once he returned last season. However, will he be able to hold up over 17 games?
It’s true that the Rams still have Parkinson and they also selected a tight end in Terrance Ferguson with their first pick in the NFL Draft. At the same time, Parkinson’s usage likely goes down. During the playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Parkinson played just 5.6 percent of the offensive snaps. From Week 9-18, he didn’t play more than 50 percent of the offensive snaps in a single game.
While the Rams did draft Ferguson, it’s fair to wonder how much he plays over Higbee. The Rams may play in more 12 personnel with Higbee and Ferguson, but there will also be a developmental period for the rookie. In 2017, Higbee had a 70-30 edge in snap percentage over Gerald Everett. That feels like a realistic split between Higbee and Ferguson in 2025.
The injury didn’t seem to affect Higbee once he returned last season. The big question will be how he holds up physically over 17 games. He will very likely continue to be a consistent piece of the offense early in the year. However, he has dealt with injuries throughout his career. In 2023, he had a neck strain and shoulder dislocation. The year before, he was placed on IR with an MCL sprain. That doesn’t mention that when he returned last year, he injured his chest in the Wild Card game against the Minnesota Vikings.
Unlike last season, the Rams should be more prepared if Higbee misses time given that they drafted Ferguson. Still, it will be interesting to see if the Rams are more deliberate with Higbee’s usage to try and keep him fresh throughout the year or if he maintains the role that he’s always had.
At the end of the day, Higbee remains one of the most trusted and productive tight ends that McVay has had. His impact on the offense can’t be overlooked. While the Rams have Ferguson in the mix, it should only provide more flexibility to the offense and ease some of the burden on Higbee. Still, Higbee should have a critical role in the offense. It was clear that the Rams missed Higbee last season when he was injured. Now a full year removed from his ACL tear, he should be expected to step back into his role in the offense.
