Tyler Higbee injury update: Rams TE was 'spitting up blood' during game vs. Vikings

The Los Angeles Rams routed the Minnesota Vikings 27-9 in the wild-card round of the NFL playoffs for their first postseason victory since winning Super Bowl 56.

Los Angeles' offense was rolling early as quarterback Matthew Stafford orchestrated two scoring drives in the first quarter. His top target in the opening frame was tight end Tyler Higbee, who caught five passes for 58 yards in the first quarter.

But Higbee wouldn't catch another pass for the rest of the night. The tight end suffered a chest injury that kept him out of the game and sent him to the hospital.

Rams coach Sean McVay said Tuesday that Higbee went to the hospital because he was "spitting up a little bit of blood."

Higbee still traveled with the team after the game, and McVay still expects him to be back in action for the divisional round against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Higbee missed the first 15 weeks of the season while recovering from offseason knee surgery. He played a total of 58 snaps over the last three weeks of the regular season to ramp up to the playoffs.

Despite the limited playing time, he still had an impact for the Rams' offense. Higbee notched eight catches for 66 yards and two touchdowns over those three games.

Rams TE depth chart

WIth Higbee out of the lineup, the Rams relied on other tight ends on the roster. Here's how the position looks for Los Angeles:

• Tyler Higbee

• Colby Parkinson

• Davis Allen

• Hunter Long

Parkinson played the most snaps at the position on offense in the game, and Allen caught Stafford's second touchdown pass of the night. Long primarily took snaps on special teams.

If Higbee is unable to play in the divisional round, the Rams also have tight end Nikola Kalinic on their practice squad.

NFC playoff bracket, schedule

Divisional round

• Saturday, Jan. 18

• No. 1 Detroit Lions vs. No. 6 Washington Commanders, 8 p.m. ET

• Sunday, Jan. 19

• No. 2 Philadelphia Eagles vs. No. 4 Los Angeles Rams, 3 p.m. ET

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tyler Higbee injury update: Spitting up blood during Rams vs. Vikings