Tyler Higbee missed two games during the regular season, yet he still played 81.1% of the snaps on offense. The Rams used a good amount of two-tight end sets when Johnny Mundt was healthy, but after Mundt tore his ACL, Higbee was relied upon even more heavily than he was early in the year. He played every snap in six of his 18 games, including the postseason, and also had eight other games with at least 90% of the snaps played.
That’s why Higbee missing two games in Weeks 14 and 15 due to COVID-19 was initially seen as such a significant blow to the offense, not only because of his value as a receiver and blocker, but because of the lack of depth behind him without Mundt available.
Higbee’s absence in those two games, as well as the Super Bowl, did show that the Rams might be deeper at tight end than first thought. Kendall Blanton and Brycen Hopkins both showed promise to close out the year, combining for nine catches and 104 yards in the NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl LVI when Higbee was out.
