The 2023 season is officially over for the Los Angeles Rams after they lost a close game to the Detroit Lions in the Wild Card round.
The Rams went toe-to-toe with the Lions, but their inability to score touchdowns in the red zone doomed their chances at an upset. While the result was disappointing, the players and coaches should hold their heads high as they accomplished more than anyone could have reasonably expected.
However, Los Angeles didn’t come out with just a loss as multiple players suffered injuries. The most concerning one occurred when Tyler Higbee took a brutal hit to the knee that knocked him out of the game.
Sean McVay later confirmed reports that Higbee tore his ACL as well as his MCL. “Yeah, that’s accurate,” McVay said. “So you got that. He’ll have that fixed. He is such a tough stud and means so much to our team in so many different ways and it’s unfortunate, but he’s got the right mindset and spirit.”
Because of the timing of Higbee’s injury, McVay acknowledged the possibility that Higbee starts next season on the physically unable to perform list for the Rams.
“I don’t know that exactly. Obviously when you get an ACL this late in the year, I would be willing to bet you he’ll be a candidate for PUP, but to put a timeline on exactly… I think you have to get that surgery. The rehab ends up being different based on what they end up really finding when you go in there and how the recovery and the procedure ends up going to fix that. I would think at the minimum, he’ll be a PUP guy.”
It’s unfortunate timing for Higbee, who agreed to a two-year extension in the offseason, and the Rams will likely bring him along slowly given the nature of his injury. Brycen Hopkins and Davis Allen subbed in for Higbee against Detroit, but now L.A. may need to use a draft pick on another tight end.
The tight end room doesn’t have much experience outside of Higbee, so hopefully the veteran makes a speedy recovery.
Kyren Williams undergoes hand surgery after Rams loss to Lions
Kyren Williams also got hurt against the Lions as he appeared to suffer a hand injury that knocked him out for a few snaps. The Rams later announced that Williams suffered a broken bone in his hand and recently had surgery to fix it.
More must-reads: