Two players on the Los Angeles Rams roster predate the hiring of Rams HC Sean McVay. Can you name them without looking them up? Here is a clue: Both are in their contract years. If you said starting right tackle Rob Havenstein and tight end Tyler Higbee, congratulations! You know your team well. And as the two senior statesmen of the team, both Tyler Higbee and Rob Havenstein face a difficult crossroads in their NFL careers.
And the Rams' front office faces difficult decisions over the future of both players on the team going forward. Does the team extend a veteran tight end who is showing the wear and tear of a long and physically demanding NFL career? Or does the team take a leap of faith in its fortunes to entrust young and untested players with the team's offensive future?:
The Rams have drafted as though the 2025 NFL season ends with a fork in the road. The Rams have rostered and executed the offense as though veteran Tyler Higbee is still the guy to sit atop the team's tight end depth chart. Ultimately, this team can only take one path.
Higbee is only one of two players on the Rams roster to predate HC Sean McVay. As such, when he sat downs with Rams reporter J.B. Long, he had plenty to share that is worth the time to listen:
One of two Rams on the roster who predate McVay, it’s been a real joy to witness Tyler Higbee’s career.
Quick sit down at OTAs as he prepares for his 10th season — now as a husband, father of two, and the best tight end in franchise history. https://t.co/8FpqDNHMhM
— J.B. Long (@JB_Long) June 6, 2025
If you take stock in how a player sounds in OTA interviews, Higbee sounds like retirement is the furthest thing from his mind. That is typical, as everything is running at its peak right now in terms of health and optimism. When the pads go on, and bumps and bruises start to appear, things start to hit home more realistically.
Higbee is back, and from what we witnessed from his late-season return in 2024, the Rams offense is all the better for it.
In terms of scoring, the team continues to boast RB Kyren Williams and TE Tyler Higbee on the Rams roster. But wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Demarcus Robinson, who accounted for 13 receiving touchdowns last season, are gone.
This is a team that hopes to improve its ability to put points on the scoreboard in 2025, and getting a full season out of veteran TE Tyler Higbee has to be a significant step to doing so. After all, Higbee scored two touchdowns in three games in 2024. The Rams will need him to deliver frequent scores in 2025. And with any luck, to pass on the baton to rookie TE Terrance Ferguson in the process.
As always, thank you so much for taking the time to read.
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