Tyler Higbee

On September 5, 2019, Higbee signed a four-year, $31 million ($15.5 million guaranteed) contract extension that will keep him with the Rams through the 2023 season. During Week 13 against the Arizona Cardinals, Higbee finished with seven catches for 107 receiving yards and a touchdown as the Rams won 34–7. During Sunday Night Football against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 14, Higbee finished with 116 receiving yards as the Rams won 28–12. In Week 15 against the Dallas Cowboys, Higbee caught 12 passes for 111 yards as the Rams lost 21–44. During Saturday Night Football against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 16, Higbee finished with 104 receiving yards as the Rams lost 31–34 and were eliminated from playoff contention. Overall, Higbee finished the 2019 season with 69 receptions for 734 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns.

In his first season under McVay, Higbee caught 25 receptions for 298 yards and a touchdown in 16 games and 16 starts. The Rams finished the 2017 season atop the NFC West with an 11-5 record and received a playoff berth. On January 6, 2018, Higbee started his first NFL playoff game and had an 11-yard reception as the Rams lost to the Atlanta Falcons by a score of 26-13.

Higbee entered training camp competing for the starting tight end job left vacant by the departure of Lance Kendricks to the Green Bay Packers in free agency. He competed against rookie second round pick Gerald Everett, Cory Harkey, and Temarrick Hemingway. New head coach Sean McVay named him the starting tight end to begin the 2017 season.

Higbee started in the Rams' season-opener against the Indianapolis Colts and made two receptions for 17 yards during a 46–9 victory. On October 8, 2017, he caught a season-high four passes for 98-yards in a 16–10 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. During a Week 9 matchup at the New York Giants, Higbee caught an 8-yard touchdown as the Rams won 51–17.

Higbee again started all 16 games for the Rams and his receptions (24) and receiving yards (292) came close to matching his 2017 totals, while he had a career-high two touchdown receptions. He caught touchdown passes from Jared Goff in the Rams' victories over the Arizona Cardinals (34-0) and Seattle Seahawks (36-31), and he had a career-high six receptions (for 63 yards) in the Rams' 54-51 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.

On July 24, 2017, Higbee pleaded guilty to assault under extreme emotional disturbance in Warren Circuit Court. Judge Steve Wilson accepted a plea agreement where Higbee must complete a pre-trial diversion program, serve 250 hours of community service, and pay restitution to the victim. Alsaleh returned to Saudi Arabia, but was able to meet with Higbee in person, where Higbee sincerely apologized and shook his hand.

Higbee was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the fourth round (110th overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft. He was the 27th player selected in the NFL Draft in Western Kentucky's school history and the highest selection since Joseph Jefferson in 2002. He also was the first player selected from Western Kentucky in 2016 and along with Brandon Doughty, and Prince Charles Iworah, made up the largest draft class in the school's history.

On June 9, 2016, the Rams signed him to a four-year, $2.92 million rookie contract that includes a signing bonus of $580,860.

Higbee made his first NFL start and NFL debut in the Rams' season-opener at the San Francisco 49ers and caught one pass for two yards during their 28–0 loss. His first NFL reception came on the first pass of the game of a two-yard throw by quarterback Case Keenum, before he was tackled by Tank Carradine and Eric Reid. In Week 9, Higbee caught one pass for a season-high 31-yards during a 13–10 loss to the Carolina Panthers. On December 24, 2016, he caught two passes for five yards and a touchdown as the Rams lost 22–21 to the 49ers. His first NFL touchdown came on a two-yard pass by rookie quarterback Jared Goff in the fourth quarter to put the Rams up 21–7.

On April 20, 2016, Higbee was charged with second-degree assault, alcohol intoxication in a public place and evading police, following an incident on April 10, which he brutally assaulted a man of Middle Eastern descent outside of Tidball's night club in Bowling Green, Kentucky. He was identified and arrested after fleeing the scene. According to the report, Higbee stated he encountered Nawaf Alsaleh multiple times. The first encounter happened outside of Dublin's Pub, where Higbee stated Alsaleh kept rubbing his head on his and his girlfriend's face multiple times and ignored persisted warnings to stop. Higbee also stated Alsaleh was calling his friends telling them to come to their location to fight Higbee." He was asked by an officer how he understood what Alsaleh said since he spoke a language he did not understand, and Higbee responded that he "just knew." Once at the jail, Higbee stated to the arresting officer "that Alsaleh never tried to fight him or come after him as if he was going to harm him." Higbee just said that, "Alsaleh got into his and (his girlfriend's) personal space so he hit Alsaleh," according to the report. Multiple witnesses said Alsaleh had his hands down and two white males were seen arguing with him and yelling ethnic slurs before hitting him once. Following the assault, Higbee was quoted as saying "ISIS these [expletive],” and “[expletive] you, go back to your country.” The victim, Nawaf Alsaleh, was found unconscious and unresponsive in the parking lot of the bar and was hospitalized with a brain hemorrhage and concussion.

On December 14, 2015, it was announced that Higbee had accepted his invitation to play in the 2016 Senior Bowl. On January 23, 2016, Higbee's representatives from Select Sports Group announced they had pulled Higbee from the Senior Bowl due to the knee sprain he suffered during the season. Higbee was one of 15 collegiate tight ends to attend the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana. He was unable to perform any drills due to his knee injury, but met with teams and had measurements taken. On March 29, 2016, Higbee attended Western Kentucky's pro day, along with Brandon Doughty, Prince Charles Iworah, George Fant, and 11 other prospects. Although he was unable to physically perform, Higbee met with scouts and team representatives and scouts, including St. Louis Rams' General Manager Les Snead. During the draft process, he had private meeting with the Denver Broncos and New Orleans Saints. At the conclusion of the pre-draft process, Higbee was projected to be a fourth or fifth round pick by NFL draft experts and scouts. He was ranked as the fourth best tight end prospect in the draft by Sports Illustrated and the fifth best tight end by NFLDraftScout.com.

Tyler Higbee (born January 1, 1993) is an American football tight end for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Rams in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He played college football at Western Kentucky University.