Colby Parkinson Bio
Colby John Parkinson (born January 8, 1999) is an American professional football tight end for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). Standing 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) and listed at 266 lb (121 kg), he plays a hybrid role as a pass-catching tight end and in-line blocker. He played college football for the Stanford Cardinal and was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL draft. He is recognized as one of the league’s tallest pass-catching targets and a red-zone threat.
Early Life and Background
Colby John Parkinson was born on January 8, 1999, in San Ramon, California. He grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area before moving south to attend Oaks Christian School in Westlake Village, California, a private school well known for producing NFL talent. At Oaks Christian, he played varsity football and basketball, showcasing his athleticism and coordination across multiple sports.
Playing for head coach Jim Benkert at Oaks Christian, Parkinson was teammates with fellow future NFL players Michael Pittman Jr. and Darnay Holmes, a setting that sharpened his competitive habits. In 2015, his junior season, he caught 24 passes for 489 yards and four touchdowns, then committed to Stanford University in December of that year. As a senior, he caught 33 passes for 531 yards and two touchdowns, leading the Lions to a second straight Marmonte League title.
He capped his high school career by playing in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and was named to the USA Today All-USA first team. Multiple scouting outlets rated him as a four- or five-star recruit, cementing his status as one of the top tight end prospects in the 2017 class.
Path to American Football
Parkinson’s path to the NFL began at Stanford University, where he joined the Cardinal football program in 2017. As a freshman, he appeared in all 14 games, catching ten passes for 97 yards and four touchdowns. His size and hands immediately gave Stanford a vertical threat at the tight end position.
As a sophomore in 2018, he started nine of 13 games and posted 29 catches for 485 yards and seven touchdowns, earning All-Pac-12 Conference honorable mention. On November 10 against Oregon State, he tied a Stanford single-game record for a tight end with four touchdowns on six catches for 166 yards, a performance that signaled his pro potential. After his 2019 junior season, in which he caught 48 passes for 589 yards and one touchdown and was named Second-team All-Pac-12, Parkinson announced he would forgo his senior year and enter the 2020 NFL draft.
Colby Parkinson Career
Early Career (2020–2021)
The Seattle Seahawks selected Parkinson in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL draft with the 133rd overall pick. He began training camp on the active/non-football injury list and was moved to the reserve/non-football injury list at the start of the regular season. He was activated on October 31 and appeared in six games as a rookie, finishing with two receptions for 16 yards, both in a 40–3 win over the New York Giants in Week 14.
On September 7, 2021, Parkinson was placed on injured reserve with a broken foot, but he returned to the roster on October 2 and appeared in 14 games that season. He made his first career start in a 38–30 win at Arizona in Week 18, catching two passes for 14 yards. The early years were defined more by development and durability than by production.
Seattle Seahawks Breakthrough (2022–2023)
Parkinson broke through in Week 1 of the 2022 season, scoring his first NFL touchdown on a 25-yard pass from Geno Smith in the Seahawks’ 17–16 victory over the Denver Broncos. He finished the regular season with 25 receptions for 322 receiving yards and two touchdowns across 17 games and two starts, becoming a reliable underneath and red-zone option in Seattle’s offense.
In 2023, he matched his production with 25 receptions for 247 yards and two touchdowns, showing consistency as a pass catcher. By the end of his Seahawks tenure, he had earned a regular role and a reputation for dependable hands, setting the stage for a major free-agency opportunity.
Los Angeles Rams Era (2024–Present)
On March 14, 2024, Parkinson signed a three-year contract with the Los Angeles Rams worth up to $22.5 million. In his first season with the Rams, he played in all 17 regular season games and started nine, finishing with 30 receptions for 294 yards. He set a career single-game high with seven receptions for 52 yards against Green Bay in Week 5 and scored his only touchdown of the year on a 19-yard reception in the Rams’ 28–22 victory over New England in Week 11. He also caught a touchdown against Philadelphia in the NFC Divisional Round.
In 2025, Parkinson started 10 of 15 games as the Rams leaned into a “13 Personnel” grouping that featured multiple tight ends. He set new single-season marks with 43 receptions for 408 yards. Against Detroit in Week 15, he recorded a career-high 75 receiving yards on five receptions, scoring two touchdowns in the Rams’ 41–34 win for his first career multi-touchdown game. He added two more touchdowns in a 37–20 victory over Arizona in Week 18, setting a new Rams single-season record for touchdown receptions by a tight end with eight, surpassing marks shared by Damone Johnson, Troy Drayton, and Roland Williams.
Parkinson’s postseason in 2025-26 proved equally memorable. Against the Carolina Panthers in an NFC Wild Card Game on January 10, 2026, he caught two passes for 34 yards, including the 19-yard game-winning touchdown with 38 seconds remaining in a 34–31 victory. The following week, he caught three passes for 56 yards to help the Rams defeat the Chicago Bears 20–17 in overtime. In the NFC Championship Game against the Seattle Seahawks, he added three receptions for 62 yards in the Rams’ 31–27 loss.
Driving Style and Strengths
Parkinson combines rare height and wingspan with soft hands and a long catching radius, traits that make him a favorite target on back-shoulder throws, fades, and crossers. He aligns both as an in-line tight end and from the slot, and his basketball background shows up in contested-catch situations. Within the Rams’ multiple tight end sets, he has become the primary receiving piece and a steady chain-mover on early downs.
Notable Events and Milestones
His first NFL touchdown came on a 25-yard pass from Geno Smith in 2022, and his first career multi-touchdown game came in the Rams’ 41–34 win over Detroit in 2025. He set a Rams single-season record for touchdown receptions by a tight end with eight in 2025, and he delivered a walk-off 19-yard touchdown reception in the 2025 NFC Wild Card round against Carolina. The 2025 campaign also produced his career high of 75 receiving yards in a single game.
Colby Parkinson Career Wins
Parkinson’s verified NFL career totals through the 2025 season include 130 receptions, 1,320 receiving yards, and 13 receiving touchdowns, per official league statistics. He has yet to win an individual season award in the NFL, but he earned Second-team All-Pac-12 honors in 2019 during his final college season at Stanford. His postseason résumé now includes a game-winning Wild Card touchdown and a divisional-round victory over the Chicago Bears.
NFL Regular Season Highlights
Parkinson has notched multiple milestone firsts in his NFL career, beginning with his first touchdown reception in Week 1 of the 2022 season. His most recent standout came in 2025, when he set a Rams franchise record for touchdown catches in a season by a tight end. Through 15 games of the 2025 regular season, he had already set new career highs in receptions (43) and receiving yards (408).
Other Performances
Before the NFL, Parkinson was a multi-year starter for the Stanford Cardinal and a U.S. Army All-American Bowl participant in high school. His college highlight came in 2018, when he tied a Stanford single-game tight end record with four touchdown catches against Oregon State.
Colby Parkinson Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public sources do not provide detailed information about Parkinson’s parents or broader family, so further background on his upbringing remains limited.
Personal Life
Parkinson attended Oaks Christian School in Westlake Village, California, where his basketball background helped shape his receiving skills. Publicly available verified details about his marital status, spouse, or children are not available at this time.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season marked Colby John Parkinson’s breakout campaign in Los Angeles, as the Rams shifted toward a “13 Personnel” package that featured multiple tight ends. He responded with 43 receptions for 408 yards and a franchise-record eight receiving touchdowns in 15 games, including 10 starts. He set a career high with 75 receiving yards against Detroit in Week 15 and scored two touchdowns in a single game for the first time in his career.
Parkinson’s late-season surge included two touchdown catches in the Week 18 win over Arizona, breaking a long-standing franchise record. He then starred in the playoffs, catching the 19-yard game-winning touchdown against Carolina in the Wild Card round and adding three catches for 56 yards in the Divisional Round win over the Chicago Bears. The Rams’ season ended with a 31–27 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game, in which he added three receptions for 62 yards.
Looking ahead, Parkinson remains under contract with the Los Angeles Rams through the 2026 season, with his current deal running through 2027. With quarterback play and the “13 Personnel” scheme both expected to remain central, Parkinson is positioned as a primary receiving tight end and a reliable red-zone target in the Rams’ offense.
