Rams TE Tyler Higbee expected to return to practice after ACL tear

Rams tight end Tyler Higbee is expected to return to practice this week after offseason knee surgery, head coach Sean McVay said on Tuesday.

Higbee tore his ACL in the Rams’ playoff loss to the Detroit Lions in January and underwent surgery to repair the injury. He has missed all 11 of the Rams’ games this year, but has slowly been making progress with the medical staff on the sidelines rehabbing his injury while still being a vocal leader in the locker room.

Higbee, 31, has spent his entire eight-year career with the Rams. Last season, he caught 47 passes for 495 yards and two touchdowns.

McVay said Higbee isn’t expected to return to play this week against the New Orleans Saints.

“He has made amazing progress, I think we want to get him out on the practice field,” McVay said. “He provides such a great leadership, such a great spark for us in a variety of ways. I don’t know that this week would be the week that he would return, but for him to even be back on the practice field and starting his clock, it’s a real credit to him, to our medical staff and just the overall resolve and resilience of that individual who I have a lot of love and respect for.”