The Los Angeles Rams lost a heartbreaker to the Seattle Seahawks, and it could be the last game tight end Tyler Higbee ever plays for the team. Originally joining the squad as a fourth-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, the Western Kentucky product has called Los Angeles home for the past decade while establishing himself as one of the league’s better tight ends. However, despite his history of strong play, the NFL is not a sentimental league, and he could find a new home as he reaches the open market.
Injuries limited Tyler Higbee to just 13 games over the past two seasons, and veteran Colby Parkinson stepped up as a legitimate part of the passing attack down the stretch. With Higbee now expendable, the impending free agent will likely sign with a new team in the coming months. While he’s not the player he used to be, the following teams could still roll the dice on the veteran and see if he has any juice left in his tank.
Tyler Higbee Likely to Leave Rams As A Free Agent
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers made the playoffs next year, and quarterback Bryce Young appears to be improving on an annual basis. While the former first-overall pick isn’t ready to compete for the MVP, the 2025 season proved that you can win games with him as your quarterback. Now, Carolina must build a better environment to nurture his growth. First-round pick Tetairoa McMillan and undrafted free agent Jalen Coker look like the future at the wide receiver position, but the tight ends need some work.
Ja’Tavion Sanders offers some upside, but the second-year tight end is probably better in a reserve role. The same can be said of Tommy Tremble and Mitchell Evans. Basically, the team has depth options at tight end and no true starting-caliber option. Tyler Higbee won’t set the world on fire, but the free agent could be a nice improvement who probably won’t cost all that much.
New York Jets
The New York Jets are strapped in for yet another long rebuild. While just about every position needs help in some way, shape, or form, the team’s top priority should involve supporting their next quarterback. Whether it’s a rookie like Fernando Mendoza or a veteran like Malik Willis, whoever is under center will struggle to survive in this environment. The offensive line is solid, and Garrett Wilson is a great receiver, but teams need more than this.
Signing Tyler Higbee as a free agent will give the Jets another much-needed set of hands. While he won’t be a 1,000-yard weapon by any stretch of the imagination, Higbee can be a nice checkdown option and security blanket while adding some support in the trenches.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers may have struck gold with Oronde Gadsden, as the fifth-round pick finished his rookie season with an impressive 49 receptions for 664 yards and three touchdowns. While he may be the future of the tight end position, Los Angeles should have a better Plan B in case his success was nothing more than a mirage. Will Dissly and Tyler Conklin are both well past their prime, and Los Angeles should find a better veteran to pair with Gadsden. Higbee could be the ideal choice for the job, as he’s good enough to start if he has to, but he won’t stop Gadsden from seeing the field if he continues to improve.
Main Photo: Matt Marton – Imagn Images
