Parkinson (knee/shoulder) questionable for Week 4

Parkinson’s absence with knee and shoulder issues at least comes as Puka Nacua returns, though the Rams are somehow down to only two healthy tight ends. Parkinson appears to be genuinely day to day, so we would assume he has a decent chance of returning for Week 5 against the Bills. Improbably, the Rams’ injury issues have made Tyler Higbee a legitimate streaming option.

Ferguson briefly departed after injuring his ankle in the team’s Sunday Night Football loss to the Broncos, returning for two snaps prior to departing again after his lone reception of the evening. The ankle injury now appears likely to cost the talented young tight end at least one game, with the potential for the absence to linger if the sprain is “more high than low.” McVay also relayed that fellow tight end Colby Parkinson suffered an AC sprain and is considered day-to-day. Veteran Tyler Higbee would be in line to operate as the primary receiving tight end after amassing 62 yards and a touchdown on eight receptions in Week 3, should both miss. Higbee should be added in all formats as a potential TE1 in the immediate future.

Parkinson did not practice once this week because of the knee issue, so it’s a bit of a surprise that McVay sounds optimistic about him suiting up today. The team may have kept him out of practice as a precaution. He will handle an inline tight end role while Terrance Ferguson handles de facto WR2 duties with Puka Nacua out. Ferguson remains in the TE1 mix while Parkinson is a touchdown-or-bust TE2.

Whittington is WR Puka Nacua’s (hip) direct backup, so he will be out there running a decent number of routes. Whittington has, however, never managed to establish himself as a reliable contributor. He does not need to be rostered in 12-team leagues. Rams TE Colby Parkinson (knee) will be questionable.

The Rams have leaned on multi-TE sets when Puka Nacua has missed time or been limited over the past year, so losing Parkinson would be another notable loss for the offense. Even if he plays, this injury all but locks in Terrance Ferguson as the team’s de facto WR2 for Week 3, assuming Nacua remains sidelined. Ferguson is pushing for a TE1 ranking ahead of his Week 3 date with the Broncos.

The Rams field a deep tight end room, and Atkins expects the personnel to undergo turnover in the next year or so. Second-year TE Terrance Ferguson could function as the de facto No. 3 wide receiver while TE Colby Parkinson continues “to be a focal point on third downs and in the red zone in this three-tight end offense” this season. He adds that Klare could get involved on “some yards-after-catch designs and wrinkles this season,” but it does not sound like Klare is due for a fantasy-friendly role in 2026.

Atkins added, “The ideal outcome for him is to lead their tight ends in catches and yards.” He noted that the coaching staff was focused on bringing Ferguson along incrementally in 2025. Now they will have the chance to move him into a more prominent role for his second season. Ferguson only caught 11 passes as a rookie, but he parlayed a seam-stretching role into 231 yards and three scores despite the low reception total. Atkins sees Ferguson as a de facto No. 3 receiver for the team, with Colby Parkinson and Tyler Higbee both fulfilling the role of a traditional inline tight end. Rookie Max Klare will also be in the mix for snaps, but will likely be brought along slowly as well. With an ADP that barely even registers in early best ball drafts, Ferguson is worth a look as a high-upside TE3.

Sadiq out of Oregon is widely expected to be a first round pick after setting record at the NFL Combine. Bowen believes the hyper-athletic tight end could be a situation matchup player for Sean McVay, who used three tight end sets at the NFL’s highest rate in 2025. “With his frame and 4.39 speed, Sadiq could be a seam stretcher for quarterback Matthew Stafford. Plus, McVay could use Sadiq as a backside X receiver/power slot to draw favorable man matchups.” Sadiq, who had 80 receptions over three seasons at Oregon, could fit the LA offense “as a catch-and-run target on boot action concepts,” Bowen said. Stafford last season led the NFL with 75 pass attempts on designed rollouts. It’s a crowded tight end room in LA, with Colby Parikson, Tyler Higbee, Terrance Ferguson, and Davis Allen on the roster. Sadiq would likely function as a rotational player if he lands with the Rams, who have the 13th pick in the 2026 draft.

Parkinson’s touchdown run finally ran out of steam over the past two weeks, but he ends the year with 43/408/8 in the regular season and another score in the playoffs. He did drop a third-down pass in this one, but was otherwise what we’ve come to expect. It’s hard to imagine that the Rams will phase him out of the offense altogether in 2026, the final year of his contract, but teams will probably have better answers for Los Angeles’ 3TE sets with a year of tape to pick over and Terrance Ferguson will be a likely breakout candidate. It all adds up to Parkinson being more of a TE2 in 2026 offseason drafts.

It is, amazingly, Parkinson’s ninth touchdown in his last 10 games despite cracking 50 yards just once over that span. The Rams steered away from their 13-personnel sets in this game without Terrance Ferguson, but Parkinson continued to eat up snaps, playing a tight-end-room high 57 of the team’s 75. Can you call someone a touchdown or bust option if he almost always spits up a touchdown? That’s what you’re confronted with in the Divisional Round slate.