Player
Colby Parkinson
TE · Rams
Parkinson spent four years buried behind Will Dissly and Noah Fant in Seattle before signing with the Rams in 2024 as Higbee insurance. The 2025 leap — 43 catches, 408 yards, 8 TDs in 14 games — is bigger than any single Seattle season, and the 8 receiving TDs alone exceed his first five years combined (4). McVay's scheme finally promoted him from rotation piece to a featured red-zone option.
Six seasons, six different roles — 2025 is the year he stopped being a backup TE.
TrendParkinson receiving production by season + team
| Year | Team | G | Tgt | Rec | Yds | TDs | Tgt % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | SEA | 1 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 0 | 6.3% |
| 2021 | SEA | 5 | 8 | 5 | 33 | 0 | 5.8% |
| 2022 | SEA | 14 | 34 | 25 | 322 | 2 | 7.7% |
| 2023 | SEA | 15 | 34 | 25 | 247 | 2 | 7.3% |
| 2024 | LA | 16 | 49 | 30 | 294 | 1 | 9.7% |
| 2025 | LA | 14 | 56 | 43 | 408 | 8 | 11.7% |
Receiving TDs per season
| Season | Receiving TDs |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 8 |
Four seasons in Seattle behind Will Dissly and Noah Fant produced a combined 4 TDs and never more than 322 yards. Then LA in 2024 was the bridge year (294/1). 2025 is the leap: 43 catches, 408 yards, and 8 TDs in 14 games — already more receiving TDs than his first five seasons combined.
Why it matters. Parkinson spent four years buried behind Will Dissly and Noah Fant in Seattle before signing with the Rams in 2024 as Higbee insurance. The 2025 leap — 43 catches, 408 yards, 8 TDs in 14 games — is bigger than any single Seattle season, and the 8 receiving TDs alone exceed his first five years combined (4). McVay's scheme finally promoted him from rotation piece to a featured red-zone option.
He didn’t replace Higbee. He passed him.
RareRams TE room — 2025 regular season
| Player | G | Tgts | Rec | Yds | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colby Parkinson | 14 | 56 | 43 | 408 | 8 |
| Tyler Higbee | 10 | 36 | 25 | 281 | 3 |
| Davis Allen | 15 | 33 | 24 | 208 | 3 |
| Terrance Ferguson | 11 | 25 | 11 | 231 | 3 |
Parkinson was signed in 2024 nominally as Higbee insurance. In 2025 with both healthy, Parkinson out-targeted Higbee 56–36, out-caught him 43–25, and out-scored him 8—3. The Rams’ TE room is actually a four-headed group — Davis Allen (15 games) and rookie Terrance Ferguson are involved — but Parkinson is unambiguously TE1. The role isn’t a fill-in anymore.
Why it matters. The Rams signed Parkinson in 2024 nominally as Tyler Higbee insurance. In 2025 with both healthy, Parkinson out-targeted Higbee 56-36, out-caught him 43-25, and out-scored him 8-3 in four fewer games. The room is a four-headed group — Davis Allen plays the most snaps (15 games) and rookie Terrance Ferguson is in the rotation — but Parkinson is unambiguously TE1.
22 red-zone targets in 2025 — more than his first 5 seasons combined.
MilestoneRed-zone targets (inside opp 20) by season
| Year | RZ Tgts | RZ TDs | TD rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| 2021 | 3 | 0 | 0% |
| 2022 | 6 | 1 | 17% |
| 2023 | 8 | 1 | 13% |
| 2024 | 9 | 1 | 11% |
| 2025 | 22 | 6 | 27% |
Across 2020-2024 he saw 27 red-zone targets total — 5.4 per season — and converted just 3 of them into scores (11%). 2025 alone has produced 22 red-zone targets and 6 TDs at a 27% rate. That single split explains the whole TD jump: McVay is using Parkinson as a designated paint area target, and at 6—7 he’s winning the contested looks.
Why it matters. From 2020-2024 Parkinson saw 27 red-zone targets total — 5.4 per season — and converted just 3 of them into scores (11%). 2025 alone has produced 22 red-zone targets and 6 TDs at a 27% rate. That single split explains the whole TD jump: at 6'7" he's been turned into McVay's designated paint-area target.
He's tied 3rd among ALL TEs in receiving TDs in 2025 — on the fewest targets of anyone near him.
Split2025 NFL TE receiving TD leaders (regular season)
| Rank | Player | Team | G | Tgts | Rec | Yds | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trey McBride | ARI | 17 | 169 | — | 1,239 | 11 |
| 1 | Dallas Goedert | PHI | 15 | 82 | — | 591 | 11 |
| 3 | Jake Ferguson | DAL | 17 | 102 | — | 600 | 8 |
| 3 | Colby Parkinson | LA | 14 | 56 | 43 | 408 | 8 |
| 5 | Brock Bowers | LV | 12 | 86 | — | 680 | 7 |
| 5 | George Kittle | SF | 11 | 69 | — | 628 | 7 |
| 5 | Hunter Henry | NE | 17 | 87 | — | 768 | 7 |
Parkinson's 8 receiving TDs put him tied for 3rd at the position with Jake Ferguson — and he got there on 56 targets, fewer than anyone else in the top 7 (Ferguson saw 102, McBride 169). The 14.3% TD-per-target rate is the conversion outlier: McVay isn't feeding him volume, he's feeding him red-zone snaps and trusting the 6'7" matchup to finish.
Why it matters. Parkinson is not a target hog — his 11.7% average target share would rank outside the top 12 TEs. What's punchy is the conversion: 8 TDs on 56 targets is a 14.3% TD rate, well above the McBride/Ferguson/Bowers tier. The Rams are using him as a specialist, not a workhorse, and the role is paying.
Top game of his career arrived in Week 15 of 2025 — 5 catches, 75 yards, 2 TDs vs Detroit.
MilestoneTop single games by receiving yards
| Year | Wk | Team | Opp | Rec | Yds | TDs | Tgts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 15 | LA | DET | 5 | 75 | 2 | 7 |
| 2025 | 17 | LA | ATL | 6 | 53 | 0 | 7 |
| 2024 | 5 | LA | GB | 7 | 52 | 0 | 13 |
| 2022 | 18 | SEA | LA | 2 | 47 | 0 | 3 |
| 2024 | 1 | LA | DET | 4 | 47 | 0 | 5 |
| 2025 | 7 | LA | JAX | 3 | 47 | 0 | 3 |
His career-best is 75 yards — modest for a TE1, but he hits 40+ yards far more often now (4 of his top 6 games are 2025). The 13-target 2024 game against Green Bay was the first hint of a real role; the 2-TD Detroit performance in 2025 was the breakthrough.
Why it matters. Parkinson's career-best is 75 yards — a number plenty of TE1s clear in a single half. But four of his top six career games are in 2025, and the 13-target 2024 game vs Green Bay was the early sign his role was widening. The Week 15 Detroit performance (5/75/2) is the only multi-TD game of his career.
FanIQ answers any NFL stats question with receipts, on your phone.
Get FanIQ freeGet it on Google Play