Tyler Higbee has been ruled out for Week 18, meaning he’ll come up 5 yards short of a $125K bonus. Will the Rams pay it out anyway?
Tyler Higbee suffered a shoulder injury in the Rams’ win over the Giants on Sunday, putting his status in question for Week 18 against the 49ers. Sean McVay ruled him out along with the other veterans who will be resting before the playoffs, not risking any further injury to the stud tight end.
According to Action Network, Higbee could’ve earned a $125,000 bonus if he recorded just 5 more yards this season. That would’ve given him 500 yards receiving, but he’s sitting at 495 with one week to go.
It’d have been a nice way to cap off a solid season for the veteran tight end, but he won’t get a chance to crack 500 yards due to this shoulder injury.
Of course, it’s possible the Rams will just pay him the bonus anyway after ruling him out before the playoffs begin. That’d probably be the smart thing to do because if Higbee’s shoulder isn’t 100%, one tackle could’ve made it worse in a meaningless game.
Tyler Higbee and Joe Noteboom were both held out of practice, while Jordan Fuller was limited by an ankle injury
The Los Angeles Rams are in the final week of the regular season, but their 2023 campaign won’t end here. They’ve punched their ticket to the playoffs and after facing the San Francisco 49ers this Sunday, they’ll look ahead to the wild-card round where they’ll face either the Cowboys, Lions or Eagles.
Health-wise, the Rams are in decent shape but a handful of players came out of Sunday’s win over the Giants a bit nicked up – including Tyler Higbee, Jordan Fuller and Joe Noteboom.
Sean McVay gave injury updates during Wednesday’s press conference, sharing which players were held out or limited during practice to start the week.
Noteboom (foot) and Higbee (shoulder) were both non-participants, as was Brian Allen (illness). Rob Havenstein got a veteran’s rest day, as well.
Jordan Fuller was limited because of his ankle injury and Desjuan Johnson was also limited by a toe issue. Other than that, everyone else was a full participant.
Tyler Higbee and Jordan Fuller both came out of Sunday’s game banged up. The Rams will monitor their status this week.
The injury bug has stayed away from the Rams for the most part this season, particularly coming out of their Week 10 bye. They were as healthy as ever entering Sunday’s game against the New York Giants but a couple of players came out of the win banged up.
Sean McVay told reporters Monday that Tyler Higbee dislocated his shoulder and Jordan Fuller sprained his ankle. The Rams have no reason to rush them back after clinching a playoff berth, but their statuses will be evaluated this week leading up to the season finale.
If Higbee can’t play, Davis Allen would be in line for more snaps, and Russ Yeast would likely fill in for Fuller if he’s unavailable.
Couple of new injuries to watch for the Rams, who haven't decided whether they'll play all starters vs SF:
TE Tyler Higbee dislocated (posterior sublux) his left shoulder in New York, and S Jordan Fuller sprained his ankle. Rams will evaluate them this week.
Both players had a big impact in the win. Higbee caught six passes for 62 yards, while Fuller picked off a pass in the second half. They’re two leaders and captains of the team, so hopefully they won’t be out very long, if at all.
Matthew Stafford made a ridiculously good sidearm throw against the Commanders, hitting Tyler Higbee on third down
Every week, Matthew Stafford makes a throw that leaves you in awe. It didn’t take long during Sunday’s game against the Commanders for him to make one of those throws.
In the second quarter, Stafford threw an absolute dime to Tyler Higbee along the sideline on a key third-down play. The throw was in a perfect spot, but the way he uncorked the ball was what made the play so impressive.
Stafford was standing flat-footed and unleashed a sidearm bullet to his tight end for a first down and 14-yard gain. It doesn’t get much better than this.
Rob Havenstein was held out of practice again, but Tutu Atwell and Tyler Higbee are making progress
After holding just a walkthrough on Wednesday, the Rams hit the field for a more traditional practice Thursday. Unfortunately, Rob Havenstein was not out there with the rest of the team for the second straight day.
Havenstein was listed as a non-participant again on Thursday, the only Rams player to miss practice. Tutu Atwell is in the concussion protocol but he seems to be making progress. He was listed as limited, as were Ben Skowronek and Michael Hoecht.
Tyler Higbee was upgraded from limited to a full participant, so he remains on track to return from his neck injury this week. Sean McVay said on Monday that the expectation is Higbee will play against the Commanders, and he seems likely to do so.
Quentin Lake was a full participant for the second straight day, and he’s also expected to return from the hamstring injury that’s kept him out three weeks in a row.
Tyler Higbee missed Sunday’s game with a neck injury but Sean McVay hopes he’ll be back in Week 15 against Washington
The Rams’ tight end depth has been tested in the last two weeks. Tyler Higbee suffered a neck injury in Week 13 against the Cleveland Browns and was forced to miss Sunday’s game in Baltimore. His replacement, Hunter Long, went down with an MCL injury in the first half of Sunday’s loss and will now miss the rest of the season.
Rookie Davis Allen played more snaps on Sunday than he had in the entire season up to that point, and while he delivered a great performance with four catches for 50 yards and a touchdown, the Rams expect to get Higbee back in Week 15.
“Hopefully we’ll get Tyler back this week. That’s the expectation. That’s the goal,” McVay said. “Still have Brycen Hopkins who has done a lot of good things for us as well. We’ll take it a day at a time. We’re kind of just now in the last couple hours just getting all this information and then you start to sort through your plans accordingly.”
The Rams had previously made Hopkins a healthy scratch in recent weeks, leaning on Long and Allen behind Higbee. But with Long going down and Higbee banged up, expect to see Hopkins active on game days moving forward.
Allen should remain a key part of the equation, too, especially after putting together the game he had on Sunday. But the Rams will be happy to get Higbee back from injury, hopefully this week.
The Rams are unlikely to have Tyler Higbee on Sunday, while Byron Young and 3 others are also questionable against the Ravens
The Los Angeles Rams have some injury concerns heading into Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens. Sean McVay told reporters on Friday that Tyler Higbee is doubtful to play this weekend due to a neck injury suffered in the Rams’ win over the Browns.
Byron Young, Michael Hoecht and Quentin Lake will all be questionable due to the injuries they’re currently dealing with; Young and Hoecht have knee injuries, while Lake is recovering from a hamstring injury.
McVay did say that “unless there’s a setback,” he thinks Young and Hoecht will both be “good to go” for Sunday’s contest. That’s good news for the Rams because Hoecht and Young are their two primary edge rushers and play the majority of the snaps.
As for the Ravens, Rashod Bateman, Justin Madubuike and Lamar Jackson are all good to go and will not carry injury designations into Sunday’s game. They each had a day where they either missed practice or were limited, but they were all full participants Friday.
Tyler Higbee and Michael Hoecht missed practice again on Thursday, but Puka Nacua and Quentin Lake are making progress
The Rams only held a walkthrough to begin the week on Wednesday, but they hit the field for a full practice Thursday as they prepare for this weekend’s game against the Ravens. While some players made progress in their participation levels, Michael Hoecht and Tyler Higbee did not.
Higbee missed practice for the second straight day with a neck injury, and Higbee was also absent from practice again on Thursday due to a knee injury.
Byron Young was upgraded to limited, as was Quentin Lake, which is a good sign for both players as Sunday approaches. Puka Nacua is trending in the right direction, too, going from limited to full.
On the Ravens’ side Rashod Batemen was upgraded from DNP to full as he deals with an illness, and Justin Madubuike also went from limited to full, so he should be able to play against the Rams on Sunday. Lamar Jackson popped up on the report Thursday after missing practice due to an illness.
Tunnel Vision – a look back at Sunday for fantasy free agents, injuries and notable performances.
SUNDAY SALUTES
Quarterbacks
Pass-Rush
TD
Geno Smith
334-6
4
Brock Purdy
314-9
4
Dak Prescott
299-23
3
Jalen Hurts
298-20
2
Matthew Stafford
279-(-2)
3
Running Backs
Rush
Receive
TD
Alvin Kamara
14-51
6-58
2
De’Von Achane
17-73
3-30
2
Derrick Henry
21-102
1-18
2
James Conner
25-105
2
Chuba Hubbard
2-104
2
Wide Receivers
Yards
TD
DK Metcalf
6-134
3
Deebo Samuel
3-22
4-116
3
Nico Collins
9-191
1
CeeDee Lamb
2-30
12-116
1
Tyreek Hill
5-157
2
Tight Ends
Yards
TD
Sam LaPorta
9-140
1
Trey McBride
8-89
1
Jake Ferguson
6-77
1
Harrison Bryant
5-49
1
Taysom Hill
13-59
2-15
1
Placekickers
XP
FG
Brandon Aubrey
3
4
Matt Gay
1
4
Lucas Havrisik
4
2
Jason Sanders
6
1
Matt Ammendola
1
3
Defense
Sack – TO
TD
Chargers
5-1
0
Colts
6-2
1
Dolphins
3-1
1
Falcons
4-3
0
Texans
3-3
0
Bumps, Bruises and Bowouts
QB Kenny Pickett – Ankle
QB Derek Carr – Concussion “plus”
WR Tank Dell – Fractured fibula
WR Marquise Brown – Heel
WR Amari Cooper – Head
WR Christian Watson – Hamstring
RB Derrick Henry – Head
RB Emari Demarco – neck
RB Rhamondre Stevenson – Ankle
RB Brian Robinson – Hamstring
TE Tyler Higbee – Concussion
Chasing Ambulances
QB Kenny Pickett – He injured his right ankle that will need a surgical procedure to fix. He is expected to miss at least a few weeks and Mitch Trubisky will replace him for this Thursday’s game against the Patriots.
QB Derek Carr – For the third time this year, Carr left the game injured. This time he was blasted when he threw the ball and suffered a concussion while also injuring his shoulder and back. The Lions Bruce Irvin was penalized for roughing the passer and Carr was carted from the field. Carr just had a concussion three weeks ago, so this a serious situation. Jameis Winston will take over until Carr returns.
WR Tank Dell – The Texans phenom fractured his fibula and will miss the rest of the season. It is a sad ending for a season that has been so bright but he should return in 2024 with no lasting problems. Noah Brown just returned after missing two games with a calf injury and should be the replacement. Brown posted two 150-yard performances in Weeks 9 and 10, so he’s already seen success in the offense. He’ll need to step up into a starting role.
WR Marquise Brown – He was already questionable heading into the game with a heel injury, and reaggravated it during the win over the Steelers. If he cannot go when they return from their Week 13 bye, Rondale Moore and Greg Dortch would share the workload.
WR Amari Cooper – He was already battling a rib injury heading into the game and was crushed by two defenders while trying to catch a pass. He is reported to have a concussion. He was already meshing well with Joe Flacco when he was hurt. There is no true replacement for Cooper who is clearly the best receiver on the team. Elijah Moore would see an uptick if Cooper remains out and he led the team with four catches for 83 yards.
WR Christian Watson – He had already scored twice on the Chiefs, but at the end of the game he went down clutching at his leg with an apparent hamstring injury. He missed three games to start the season with a hamstring issue as well, so another one is concerning. Dontayvion Wicks would become a starter if Watson remains out, but his production would be replaced by Romeo Doubs and Jayden Reed.
RB Derrick Henry – Suffered a head injury expected to be a concussion. Henry has been very durable considering his career workload but hasn’t missed time with a concussion. Tyjae Spears will replace him in Miami this week if he remains out.
RB Rhamondre Stevenson – The Pats’ running back suffered an ankle injury and while his X-rays were negative, the early speculation is that he may miss multiple games. An MRI will determine the severity of the sprain but it’s highly unlikely that Stevenson plays on Thursday night at the Steelers. Ezekiel Elliott entered Week 13 with a thigh injury but was active and stepped up once Stevenson left near the end of the first quarter. Elliott handled 17 carries for 52 yards and caught a team-high four passes for 40 yards.
RB Brian Robinson – The Commanders’ back was running well against the Dolphins, gaining 53 yards on seven attempts but injured his hamstring and did not return. There was no immediate speculation as to the severity of the injury or if he would miss any games. Antonio Gibson would see the bigger boost in carries and catches, and Chris Rodriguez would also bump up to being the No. 2 back if Robinson misses any time, but the Commanders enter their bye and that gives Robinson more time to heal.
Free Agents, Flops and Other Notables
Where did all the passes go? – It’s that time of the season when passing starts to decline. There were six teams on bye this week, but it is still notable that there were only two passers that topped 300 yards – Geno Smith (334 yards) and Brock Purdy (314 yards). Bet you didn’t see that coming.
RB De’Von Achane – We can’t be certain how long he will stay healthy, but he’s back to form at least for now. After taking last week off and flopping in Week 11, Achane ran for 73 yards on 17 carries and caught three passes for 30 yards, while scoring twice. His 20 touches topped the 12 given to Raheem Mostert.
RB Austin Ekeler – The stud of 2022 just hasn’t been nearly as effective this year. He just ran for 18 yards on 14 carries and caught just two passes for nine yards. He was on the road, but the Patriots run defense has declined to being only average – until this week.
RB Ezekiel Elliott – The injury to Rhamondre Stevenson is expected to last at least a week or two. The ex-Cowboy star gets a chance to handle a workhorse load until Stevenson returns. Three of their next four games are on the road which is not ideal, nor is scoring zero points at home this week. But Elliott can help an RB-hungry fantasy team reach the playoffs.
TE Kyle Pitts – He led the Falcons in Week 13 with eight targets for four catches and 51 yards. That was versus the Jets defense. The Falcons host the Buccaneers this week for a violent shift in the quality of the secondary. He had a minor boost from the Jets taking Drake London (1-8) out of the game, but it is good to see his name atop the box core for once.
RB Tyjae Spears – Derrick Henry consumed 21 rushes for 102 yards and two scores before leaving with a head injury in the loss to the Colts. But Tyjae Spears also turned in 16 carries for 75 yards (4.7 YPC) and caught four passes for 13 yards. He ran well enough that the Titans may not be in a hurry to replace Derrick Henry next season.
WR Jonathan Mingo – The Panthers second-round rookie is picking up steam as the offense appears to intentionally involving him more while relying less on Adam Thielen. This season was over long ago and working on next year by throwing more to the younger players makes sense. Thielen is sighed through 2025 and the Panthers cannot get out of that until after next year, so Thielen still needs to be involved.
QB Joe Flacco – Compared to Dorian Thompson-Robinson or P.J. Walker, the aged Flacco looked sharp passing for 254 yards and two scores in the loss to the Rams. Amari Cooper was lost in the game, and Elijah Moore ended with 12 targets that became four catches for 83 yards to lead the Browns. Flacco needs Cooper to be healthy, but he gets a lighter time for the next two weeks at home against the Jaguars and Bears.
QB Patrick Mahomes – He’s ranked as the No. 14 fantasy quarterback and hasn’t missed any games. Eight of his last nine games did not record more than two passing scores and no games this year had him rushing in a touchdown. Over the last five games, he’s averaged 222 passing yards and 1.4 touchdowns which is pretty much the definition of an average NFL quarterback. What I’m trying to figure out is if we can say that he is a… you know,,, “average quarterback”? Can we even say that aloud? Is that even legal? I’m asking for a friend.
Huddle player of the week
Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Deebo Samuel – You’d think visitors would be less aggressive in the City of Brotherly Love, but not so for Samuel. The 49ers Swiss Army knife caught four passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns at the Eagles, and ran for 22 yards and another score on three carries. Oh yeah, he also gained 60 yards on his two kick returns. He may have several blades, but each one can cut you.
Salute!
Drama 101 – Somebody has to laugh, somebody has to cry
Tyler Higbee is questionable to return vs. Browns as he is being evaluated for a concussion.
The Los Angeles Rams are experiencing a couple of injuries on the offensive side of the ball in Sunday’s matchup against the Cleveland Browns. After Puka Nacua exited — and returned — from a rib injury, Tyler Higbee is questionable to return due to a potential concussion.
Rams Injury Update: TE Tyler Higbee (concussion) questionable to return
Higbee suffered the injury after taking a tough hit on a pass intended for him from Matthew Stafford. The experienced tight end went to the sideline and he’s being evaluated for a concussion, making his return iffy in the fourth quarter.
