Tyler Higbee is entering his eighth season in the NFL and he’s battled through his share of bumps and bruises. No one who’s played seven years of professional football expects to feel like a rookie but Higbee seems to be much healthier than he was even this time last year.
Higbee was still recovering from the knee injury that sidelined him in the Super Bowl and it seemed to linger into the season, being listed as questionable in Week 12 against the Chiefs. He never missed a game in 2022 but Higbee indicated on Tuesday that he feels significantly better now than he did this time last year.
“Year 8, you’re playing football, your body’s not always going to be as healthy as it was 8-10 years ago,” Higbee said. “But yeah, I feel good. Last year, having the knee surgery, knee injury, but I felt like I was able to kind of put on that armor to get through a season. I feel good coming into this year. I feel much better than I did last year at this point.”
Higbee has been durable throughout his career despite the fact that he often seems to be battling some kind of injury. He’s only missed four regular-season games, making 101 starts and playing 110 games since 2016.
The Rams will need him as healthy as possible in 2023, given the significant turnover they’ve had on their roster this year. Higbee may not be a prolific receiver, but he can at least move the chains on third down and win one-on-one matchups in the middle of the field against safeties and linebackers.
He’s also a valuable blocker in the running game, which often goes unnoticed.