Sports
Tyler Higbee fired up about return to Rams: 'Might have to throw some water on me'
Tyler Higbee is understandably excited.
It’s been 11 long months since the Rams’ veteran tight end last played for the Rams.
The ninth-year pro underwent major knee surgery after a NFC wild-card defeat by the Detroit Lions. Seven weeks after that, he had shoulder surgery.
On Sunday, Higbee will be active for the first time this season when the Rams play the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
So his energy level might be higher than normal.
“These guys might have to throw some water on me to take the fire out of my hair,” he said Friday after practice, “but we’re excited.”
Higbee was selected by the Rams in the fourth round of the 2016 draft and has been a mainstay for coach Sean McVay, who was hired after Higbee’s rookie season.
Higbee has 353 career receptions, 22 for touchdowns.
Higbee, who will turn 32 on Jan. 1, began practicing a few weeks ago and was activated from injured reserve this week.
“It’s been a long journey,” he said. “Some days aren’t always the best, but I just kept showing up and going to work.”
McVay was happy to welcome him back.
“It’s a tremendous credit … to the work that he’s done behind the scenes, out here, and the influence-effect, and impact really that he has on his teammates,” McVay said. “It means a lot from just his overall leadership and then what he can provide on the grass.”
Higbee’s return gives the Rams four tight ends on the roster.
Rams tight end Tyler Higbee (89) is helped off the field after injuring his knee and shoulder during a playoff loss to the Lions in January.
(Duane Burleson / Associated Press)
Colby Parkinson, who was signed last offseason as a free agent, has 29 catches for 288 yards and a touchdown. Hunter Long has seven catches for 60 yards, Davis Allen six for 39.
“I couldn’t be more happier that he’s back,” said Allen, a second-year pro. “He’s such a huge part of just our team and the tight end room.
“He’s been supportive all year. To see the work he’s put in to get back has been awesome. Especially as a young guy watching a vet and trying to take as many notes as possible from him.”
Having four tight ends is “a good problem to have,” offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said.
“We’ve got four tight ends that have proven that they belong in this league and can play at a high level in both phases,” LaFleur said, adding, “We’ll work through that all the way up until Sunday and a lot of times that rotation just kind of organically happens throughout a game.”
Higbee’s last game ended when Lions safety Kerby Joseph hit him during the Rams’ 24-23 defeat at Ford Field in Detroit.
Receiver Cooper Kupp, who missed much of the 2018 season because of a knee injury, could relate to Higbee’s plight.
“I remember coming off the field after that Detroit game last year and obviously it was weighing on him,” Kupp said. “The heaviness of knowing what the path was ahead of him.”
To make matters worse, the Rams’ plane in Detroit was delayed on the tarmac for hours.
“Having a knee that’s just throbbing,” Higbee said.
After his surgeries, Higbee worked with team medical and training personnel. They worked on off days. They worked when the Rams were moving locations from Thousand Oaks to Woodland Hills. They worked during vacations.
“Big credit to those guys helping me get back,” Higbee said.
During his rehabilitation, Higbee stayed connected to the team by attending meetings and games.
“You can feel a little [like] a castaway a little bit,” he said, “and that’s just the nature of the business.”
But Rams players were inspired by Higbee’s work ethic to return. He said he felt their energy and support, keeping him grounded.
“Helped me stay present,” he said. “Whether a good day, a bad day, however it’s feeling, it’s like I come here and see these guys working — I got no option but to work.”
Quarterback Matthew Stafford said Higbee’s experience and energy will help a team that leads the NFC West with three games left.
“The biggest thing is I’m just excited for him,” Stafford said. “What an accomplishment to be able to come back from something like that and to be able to be available for us. … His attitude is infectious and the way he goes about his businesses is amazing.”
Higbee said he won’t be worried about his knee or shoulder when he takes the field Sunday. He expects to acclimate quickly.
“Some of that is going to come from playing, from getting thrown in the fire,” he said, adding, “but I’m ready to roll.”
The Cleveland Browns, rumored to be willing to trade down from their No. 6 overall selection in the 2026 NFL draft, did just that Thursday evening when the traded the pick to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Cleveland traded the sixth overall pick in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft to the Chiefs, in exchange for the ninth overall pick, as well as pick No. 74 in the third round and No. 148 in the fifth round.
The Browns now hold the No. 9 and No. 24 picks in the first round of the draft. They have a total of 11 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Quarterbacks Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson of the Cleveland Browns watch from the sidelines during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland, Ohio, on Sept. 7, 2025. (Jason Miller/Getty Images)
So the Chiefs gave up three picks in making the first trade of the first round.
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And we know what the fan bases of both clubs were thinking prior to the selection:
Chiefs fans were thinking we know something they don’t. And then the Chiefs selected cornerback Mansoor Delane from LSU — a move no doubt forced by the club’s trade of Pro Bowl cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams earlier in the offseason.
So, the Chiefs fill a major need, assuming Delane is indeed the quality corner they believe.
LSU Tigers CB Mansoor Delane celebrates a defensive stop against the Clemson Tigers at Memorial Stadium in South Carolina. (Ken Ruinard/USA TODAY Network)
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ESPN’s Mel Kiper didn’t like the pick, by the way. He had Delane as the 14th best player in the draft.
“It was a necessity,” ESPN analyst Louis Riddick, a former NFL defensive back, responded.
Browns fans weren’t thinking that way.
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They were probably thinking something akin to “We screwed up.”
This is understandable because they’re Browns fans and this could have been the Browns Browning.
Well, the Browns, moving down three slots, gave up a shot to draft linebacker Sonny Styles of Ohio State to the Washington Commanders, receiver Jordyn Tyson to the New Orleans Saints and then the Browns got their chance with the newly acquired No. 9 pick:
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Offensive tackle Spencer Fano of Utah.
Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Ind., on Feb. 24, 2026. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
Fano is good. And he makes the Browns offensive line instantly better because he’s going to likely start at left tackle for them.
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So what will Browns fans think of this pick?
They’ll probably wonder why the Browns didn’t pick Miami’s Francis Mauigoa, who went with the No. 10 pick to the New York Giants and promised “to die for” Jaxson Dart if necessary. They’ll wonder this because Browns fans expect the worst.
UCLA women’s basketball team has added some star power as its revamped roster begins to take shape.
Former Iowa State forward Addy Brown announced Thursday she is committing to UCLA, giving the Bruins one of the top players in the portal.
Brown averaged 11.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game while shooting 43.1% from the floor and 33.8% from three-point distance with the Cyclones last season. She played just 21 games due to injury, but she is one of the better two-way players in the nation on the transfer market.
The 6-foot-2 forward co-starred with Audi Crooks for Iowa State the past few seasons and was a part of the mass exodus from the Cyclones’ program.
The Bruins reeled in former North Carolina junior guard Elina Aarnisalo and former Texas Christian senior guard Donovyn Hunter a few weeks ago, adding two more experienced players to the depleted starting lineup after a record six UCLA players were selected in the WNBA draft.
UCLA also signed Arkansas sophomore guard Bonnie Deas earlier this month. She is likely to start at point guard for the Bruins and is one of the best rebounding guards in the nation.
Along with returner Timea Gardiner, the Bruins are starting to form somewhat of a core to defend their national championship. Gardiner was a starter during UCLA’s 2024-25 Final Four run, but missed all of this past season with injury and has one season of eligibility left.
A lineup with Deas and Aarnisalo in the backcourt, Hunter at the three and Gardiner or Brown at the four and adding another big or Sienna Betts at the five would be a competitive lineup in the Big Ten.
Before going to TCU, Hunter played two seasons at Oregon State where she earned All-Pac-12 Defensive Team honorable mention and All-Pac-12 Freshman team honors. This past season with a Horned Frogs team that went to the Sweet 16, she was third in scoring with 10.2 points per game and averaged 3.2 rebounds per contest. She also shot 45.7% from the field and was 33.7% from beyond the arc.
Aarnisalo played her freshman year in Westwood after she originally committed to UCLA in 2025. Due to injuries from point guard Kiki Rice at the start of the 2024-25 season, she was forced into action early her freshman season and finished the year averaging 5.1 points per game.
The Helsinki, Finland, native averaged 10.2 points per game for the Tar Heels as a sophomore last season while shooting 47.3% from the field and 40.3% from the arc. The Bruins will desperately need to replace the three-point production lost with the departure of Rice, Gianna Kneepkens and Charlisse Leger-Walker.
UCLA coach Cori Close said she wanted to sign five players from the portal. She probably needs one more guard and a little more forward depth coming off the bench following the departures of Gabriela Jaquez and Angela Dugalic.
Lena Bilic and Amanda Muse are returners coming off the bench who got a little bit of playing time in the tournament and should have much larger roles, but they are still relatively unproven in late-game situations. They will get a chance to develop as backups with some more Power Four experienced starters now in the fold.
Trump says there’s ‘no time frame’ to secure Iran deal
Republican Minnesota Senate candidate Tom Weiler joins ‘Fox & Friends’ to discuss President Donald Trump’s blockade in the Strait of Hormuz as the U.S.-Iranian conflict continues and react to Gov. Tim Walz’s, D-Minn., criticism of the president.
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Saudi Arabia was among the countries seeing missiles fly into their airspace as a conflict broke out in the Middle East between the U.S. and Iran.
The prospect of Iran targeting its Middle Eastern neighbors like Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates put some sporting events on hold and questioned others. Formula 1 races in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain were canceled and rumors swirled around whether future WWE events could be held in the kingdom.
Roman Reigns celebrates his win during WWE’s Royal Rumble at Riyadh Season Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Jan. 31, 2026. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE)
As the Trump administration brokered a ceasefire with Iran, WWE announced on Thursday that its Night of Champions premium live event will be held in Riyadh on June 27.
“We are proud to welcome Night of Champions back to Riyadh and look forward to delivering another unforgettable night of WWE action for fans in the Kingdom and around the world,” General Entertainment Authority chairman Turki Al-Sheikh said in a news release.
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Sami Zayn makes his entrance during Night of Champions at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on June 28, 2025. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE)
The release touted that WrestleMania 43 will still be held in Riyadh in 2027. It will be the first time that WrestleMania is held outside the U.S.
WWE president Nick Khan was adamant before WrestleMania 42 that the event will still take place in Saudi Arabia despite the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
“We’re doing WrestleMania next year in Saudi,” he said at a Sports Business Journal event, via The Sporting Tribune. “First time ever, WrestleMania will be outside the United States or Canada. And we’ve had a big, fruitful partnership with them.”
John Cena wrestles CM Punk during Night of Champions at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on June 28, 2025. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE)
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He added that those complaining about WrestleMania being held in Saudi Arabia were a “vocal minority.”
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