Rams TE Tyler Higbee explains why he returned for 2026 season

Following the 2025 season, there was speculation that veteran tight end Tyler Higbee could retire after 10 years with the Los Angeles Rams. Higbee put those ideas to bed, though, after he and the Rams agreed to a new two-year deal for the 33-year-old.

Now heading into his 11th season with the team, Higbee told reporters Monday that he didn't plan on playing anywhere else and that the Rams' loss in the NFC championship game certainly affected his decision to return in 2026. Higbee also said he made the decision "fairly quick" after the season ended.

"Obviously, I didn't want to go anywhere else, I wanted to be here," Higbee said. "It was fairly quick, a week removed from the season, it was like, ‘I want to play ball.’ I got a few more years of good football in me. We have a team that will have a chance, a lot of things have to go right, but this is a team that can compete for a championship, and I want to be a part of it.”

Higbee's production took a step back in 2025 despite the emergence of 13 personnel being a staple of the Rams' offense. He finished with 25 receptions for 281 yards and three touchdowns, but missed seven games due to injury. So while Colby Parkinson and 2025 second-rounder Terrance Ferguson soaked up attention from Matthew Stafford, Higbee remained a key locker room presence and veteran mentor for his younger teammates.

And while the Rams' NFC title game loss didn't completely make up his mind, Higbee admitted I did influence his decision to return for another season.

“Yeah, one hundred percent. There are a lot of good things that we can draw from last year. It's a new year and every year has its own season," he said. "Just being so close and tasting it and having experienced winning the championship before, it's something I've been chasing since. I’ve been chasing since I've been in the league and then having a chance to win it and then you taste it and it's like, ‘Oh I want more.’ It obviously played a role in all of it, but at the same time, I love this organization. This is a place I call home and I didn't really want to be anywhere else and I'm happy to be back.”