Rams head coach Sean McVay said Higbee (knee) is likely to resume practicing this week, but the tight end is unlikely to play in Sunday's game at New Orleans, Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com reports.
Los Angeles is expected to formally open Higbee's 21-day evaluation window Wednesday, when the team begins Week 13 prep. Higbee has been on the PUP list since late August after he suffered an ACL and MCL tear in his right knee in a Jan. 14 playoff loss to the Lions. After a lengthy recovery from surgery, the 31-year-old is finally ready to take reps in practice, but he could require a multi-week ramp-up period before he's deemed ready for game action. Once he's added back to the 53-man roster, Higbee will likely take over as the Rams' starting tight end, though he could be deployed in a timeshare with Colby Parkinson and Davis Allen as the coaching staff looks to keep Higbee's snap counts in check coming off the major knee injury.