Colby Parkinson

Parkinson is listed first on the Rams depth chart ahead of Tyler Higbee, Terrance Ferguson, and Davis Allen, but despite the return of top tight end Tyler Higbee, Parkinson matched a season high with seven targets while playing 84% of the snaps, and Higbee also had a strong game in his return from Injured Reserve, catching five of six targets for 91 yards and a score. The snap distribution remains unpredictable in LA's 13-personnel formations.

Parkinson is in the final year of his 3-year, $22.5M deal ($5.5M base in 2026) with no extension talks. League sources peg him as more likely to be traded than cut — possibly for a 2027 3rd — making him a near-zero-equity asset for a dynasty roster after this season.

Terrance Ferguson (dynasty value 2811, already outranking Parkinson) is the Rams' clear long-term TE1. His hybrid WR/TE skillset led all TEs in aDOT (18.3 yds) in 2025 and the team views him as the future, directly threatening Parkinson's snap and target share in 2026.

The Rams invested a 2nd-round pick (R2 P29) on Max Klare, a pass-catching TE out of Ohio State. While Klare begins as the 4th TE in 2026, the draft capital signals a deliberate transition plan that could erode Parkinson's role by 2027.

2025's career year was TD-fueled — 8 TDs (vs. just 5 across his prior 5 seasons combined) on only 408 receiving yards and 56 targets. Red-zone scoring at that clip rarely repeats, and his PPR #15 finish is highly vulnerable to negative regression.

Behind Puka Nacua and Davante Adams (280 combined targets), the TE room is crowded with 2025 2nd-rounder Terrance Ferguson, 2026 2nd-rounder Max Klare, plus Tyler Higbee and Davis Allen — beat writers call Ferguson and Klare 'the future of the position.'

In 2025, Parkinson started in 10 out of 15 games, utilizing a '13 Personnel' set involving multiple tight ends, and set new single season marks with 43 receptions for 408 yards, and a new team single season record for touchdown receptions by a tight end with eight. This career year signals legitimate role expansion.

Tyler Higbee's contract voids February 16, 2026, and retirement speculation is widespread. His exit would solidify Parkinson as the TE1 with established chemistry with Matthew Stafford.

Parkinson's new 3-year, $22.5M deal ($9.08M 2026 cap hit) is a strong organizational signal — the Rams paid starter money, confirming he's their TE1a and not a camp body. This provides a firm floor for dynasty value through at least 2027.

Parkinson's 8 TDs in 2025 (nearly doubling his prior career total) established him as a legitimate red zone weapon under Stafford. Even in a reduced target share role, his TD rate provides a meaningful PPR scoring floor.

Against the Carolina Panthers in an NFC Wild Card Game on January 10, 2026, Parkinson had two receptions for 34 yards, including a 19-yard touchdown for the game-winning score with 38 seconds remaining in the Rams' 34-31 victory. Late-season/playoff production demonstrates situational reliability.

New OC Nate Scheelhaase promoted from within with full continuity in McVay's system; the top-ranked 2025 Rams offense runs heavy 13-personnel packages that require a reliable inline/seam TE, which is Parkinson's exact profile.