The Rams may have one of the league’s deepest tight end groups, but don’t count on offensive coordinator Nate Scheelhaase to hand out a clean-cut TE1 anytime soon.
That’s the reality in a room that already features veterans Colby Parkinson and Tyler Higbee, plus Terrance Ferguson, who is expected to take a sophomore step. Last season, Parkinson finished as the group’s receiving leader with 408 yards, and the Rams’ tight ends combined for more than 1,100 yards and 17 touchdowns. Even with that production, the hierarchy still looks murky.
Scheelhaase made that clear Wednesday when asked whether one player would separate from the pack.
"No, I don't expect anybody in particular to come out on top," Scheelhaase responded to a question during Wednesday's media session, calling the group"so versatile, that you're just excited to see who ends up coming to life based on what the defense wants to do. We can move those guys all around the field.
They can all do so much in the run game and the pass game. … I just appreciate how those guys work and how they've pushed each other to get where they're at right now."
That fits the way this room is built. The Rams’ tight ends are not defined by one star carrying the load. Their strength is depth, and that makes the conversation about a single TE1 more complicated than it might seem.
Parkinson is the safest bet to remain near the top after taking over as the clear lead option when Higbee got hurt a year ago. But Ferguson’s expected growth could tighten the race quickly, and Higbee still has a real case if he stays healthy for all 17 games. His per-game averages were still the best in the group in 2025, and at 33, he remains firmly in the mix.
There’s also rookie Max Klare, who has stood out in training camp as both a blocker and a receiver. He adds another layer to a room that already has very different skill sets.
Ferguson brings more as a pass catcher than as a blocker. Davis Allen is more trusted in the run game than as a big-play receiver.
Parkinson and Higbee can handle a little of everything. That variety is part of why the Rams can keep defenses guessing.
It also gives Matthew Stafford reliable options in the red zone. Higbee has the most experience with Stafford of any tight end on the roster, and he was the only current Rams tight end on the team when Stafford arrived in 2021.
Even if the TE1 label stays fuzzy, it would still be a surprise if the Rams don’t end up with a clear top two or three by the time the season settles in, with Parkinson, Ferguson and Higbee the most likely names to occupy those spots. Depending on how carefully the Rams manage Higbee’s workload to keep him fresh for the playoffs, that group could really function as a top two.
Klare remains the unknown, and that may be where the real squeeze comes. If someone gets pushed aside as the roles sort themselves out, Allen or Klare still looks like the most likely candidate.
For now, though, the Rams’ tight end situation looks less like a depth chart and more like a puzzle. And that may be exactly how they want it.
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