Only the present moment exists, tangibly, to us. However, there will always be a "before" and an "after". With no point of reference it may become irrelevant but it is still there.

There absolutely were things happening before humans were around to consciously observe it. Time will still exist after humans are extinct.

There was time before the dinosaurs roamed the earth, and after the extinction event.

There was time before the earth was formed and after it is devoured by the sun.

There was time before John Trump came to this timeline as Julian Assange and after Trump pardons him for playing the part he was here to play.