Los Angeles Rams' Sean McVay Praises 'Glue Guy' Tyler Higbee After Extension

The Los Angeles Rams signed tight end Tyler Higbee to a new contract extension on Friday, much to the delight of coach Sean McVay.

Los Angeles Rams right end Tyler Higbee is a very happy man on Friday, as he received a new extension to remain in L.A. for the long haul.

Higbee has been a staple in the offense since arriving in 2016, so the Rams made it a priority to keep him around. This new two-year extension is worth $27 million with $17 million guaranteed and a maximum value of $30.5 million, per NFL Network. For a team that has gone through as many roster changes as the Rams have recently, keeping a proven veteran like Higbee around is a big deal.

Aside from Higbee himself, the one most happy with this extension is Rams coach Sean McVay. After news of Higbee's new deal broke, McVay took time to sing his praises of the veteran tight end, and they were quite high praises.

"He is a glue guy for this team. Really cool to see him honored as a captain, voted on by his teammates this year," McVay told reporters. "He epitomizes a lot of the things that we're looking for in Rams, mentally and physically tough, loves to compete. He's got versatility. We ask a lot of our tight ends. He sets the example every single day. I love Tyler Higbee. Really happy for him and that's a good thing for us.”

Los Angeles Rams tight end Tyler Higbee about to perform a celebratory spike after scoring a touchdown / © Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

McVay not only praised Higbee for his work on the field, but his ability to lead off of it as well. The Rams have one of the youngest rosters in the league, with Higbee being one of the few key veteran players. Having those veteran players to build around is crucial to McVay, and to illustrate his point, he pointed to the Rams' opponent this week.

"When you look at it, even just from playing (Indianapolis Colts) these guys in ‘21 in Week 2, and then you look at some of the turnover, well, there's still some consistent really good players that they had then that they still have now," McVay said. "That's what you always want to be able to have. I think it's been earned from Tyler and that was something that was important to us.”

A Super Bowl champion in 2021, Higbee is off to a solid start this season with 11 receptions for 132 yards through three games. Unfortunately, he's officially questionable for Sunday's game against the Colts as he nurses an Achilles injury.