The Los Angeles Rams played in what was an emotionally charged Super Wild Card Weekend against the Detroit Lions. The two teams made a blockbuster trade a few years ago that resulted in Matthew Stafford and Jard Goff swapping places as starting quarterbacks.
Stafford helped lead the Rams to a Super Bowl in his first season with the team, while the Lions struggled mightily. Goff and crew eventually got things on track, improving to the point where they won the NFC North this year, resulting in the most anticipated matchup of the weekend.
The Lions ultimately came away with a 24-23 victory in a great game. Fans rejoiced to see their team win a playoff game for the first time in three decades as the last time Detroit was victorious in the postseason, texting had not yet existed.
NFL News & Rumors: Tyler Higbee, Kerby Joseph, Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Rams Updates
It was a great outcome for the Lions, an up-and-coming team in the NFC. The Rams should be happy about how their season went as well, given how little was expected of them coming into it.
However, the loss on the scoreboard on Sunday night was not the only one the Rams suffered. In the fourth quarter, on what ended up being their final offensive drive of the game, tight end Tyler Higbee suffered a brutal hit to his lower body.
While attempting to reel in a reception, he was hit hard by safety Kerby Joseph. With his foot planted in the ground, Higbee’s knee bent awkwardly and he limped off the field to the sidelines. Unfortunately, for him, the early prognosis isn’t positive.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Higbee is believed to have torn his ACL after absorbing that hit. Additional testing will be done to confirm if he tore his ACL or not.
NFL News & Rumors: Tyler Higbee, Kerby Joseph, Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Rams Updates
This isn’t the first time that a hit from Kerby has resulted in a long-term injury. Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson also suffered a torn ACL from a hit administered by Kerby when the Lions matched up against their NFC North rivals in Week 17. A hit from Joseph also left wide receiver Jordan Addison a little banged up.
Given the timing of the injury, there is a real chance that Higbee’s 2024 campaign will be in jeopardy. At the very least he will be starting the season late as even a quick recovery period would put his return at sometime around the midway point of the season.
That is a tough blow for the Rams, as Higbee has been a solid and reliable contributor to the offense. He did sign an extension in September, so he is under contract for 2024, but there is zero guaranteed dollars on his deal beyond that.
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