WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. – Wide receiver Cooper Kupp vividly remembers walking off the field after the Rams' Wild Card playoff loss to the Lions in January and seeing how the heaviness of the path ahead after Tyler Higbee's knee injury was weighing on the tight end.
And yet, even with what lay ahead – including "a certain number of surgeries" – Higbee's spirit remained unbroken. That mindset throughout the entire rehab process resonated with Kupp.
"I thought that he handled it incredibly well," Kupp said this week. "It's inspiring watching someone that has to go through the things… He at one point had... I don't want HIPAA violations, I'm sure you're coming for me, but he had a certain number of surgeries that he needed to have going into the offseason and that is a daunting thing. We're talking about staggering those things and to get through them... He took every step of that and just attacked it. It's something about being able to take those things a day at a time, be where his feet are, and just be able to find joy in that present moment was a really cool thing to see."
After 11 months of hard work, Higbee is set to make his 2024 season debut this Sunday against the Jets at MetLife Stadium.
"It's been a long journey," Higbee said after Friday's practice. "Some days aren't always the best, but just kept showing up and going to work. Those guys, our training staff, is the best in the business from my understanding. It's obviously the only ones that I've been around, but hearing from other people and other places, they're the best in the business. Being able to work with (Vice President, Sports Medicine and Performance) Reggie (Scott) and (Director of Sports Medicine) Byron (Cunningham) and the collective staff in there to be able to come in here and work every day, even when not everyone was showing up, when we were in Cal-Lu (the Rams' old practice facility location) and packing stuff up and moving and stuff was saran-wrapped in boxes, we're pulling stuff out of boxes to get our rehab in. Sometimes it was just me and Byron at the facility and nobody else was here, vacations, whatever days off, whatever it was, we were in here working. Big credit to those guys (who) helped me get back. The work has got us here."
Higbee tore his ACL and MCL in that playoff game against the Lions. He said he underwent one surgery to repair both of those ligaments and his meniscus, then underwent shoulder surgery to repair his left labrum seven weeks later. It wasn't until late November that he returned to practice.
That rehab process didn't get in the way of his ability to be a present teammate, though. Once he was able to move around, he was actively helping his position group in meetings, on the practice field and on the sidelines at both home and away games. Having been with the Rams as long as he has and a captain last year, he felt it was his responsibility to be there for those teammates."
"They did a good job of helping me, allowing me to be around the team, being able to travel with these guys," Higbee said. "As a veteran in a leadership role, being able to be there for those guys, even if I'm not on the field, but being however I can help. It's interesting (on) game days. It's like you're trying to help them, but at the same time trying to let them do their thing, so you're not really getting in the way. But yeah, being able to be around the team has helped a lot."
Upon coming back, he got to break down the team's huddle post-practice, showcasing the infectious energy that makes him so revered by his teammates.
"Ever since we got him back out there, he's just a fun guy to be around," quarterback Matthew Stafford said. "He loves playing this game, whether it's his role on scout team the last couple weeks or with the offense out there running plays. He's a guy that brings great energy."
Overcoming such an injury, let alone multiple injuries, is no small feat, as McVay has reiterated in comments about Higbee since his return to practice.
That return was one of the first hurdles for Higbee to clear. That first day back at practice, Higbee said his energy levels were high.
When he takes the field Sunday, he'll focus on being present and where his feet are, just as he did while rehabbing his knee and shoulder injuries. It will feel no different than that first practice back.
Okay, maybe a little bit different.
"My energy levels will be there," Higbee said. "Maybe a little bit higher than a normal game day. These guys may have to throw some water on me to take the fire out of my hair. But we're excited."
