The Patriots don’t have much room for error at tight end, and that’s why Colby Parkinson keeps popping up as a name worth watching.
With Julian Hill out for the season after a free-agent signing that was supposed to help stabilize the room, New England is left leaning on Hunter Henry and rookie Eli Raridon as the presumed starters. There are other players who can fight for the TE3 job in camp, but the bigger issue is obvious: the Patriots could use another veteran they can trust.
That’s where Parkinson comes in. The 27-year-old is entering the final year of his contract with the Rams, and he has already been floating around as a possible trade target for much of the offseason. A recent prediction about Matthew Stafford’s offense in 2026 only adds fuel to that idea.
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton projected Parkinson as a bust for Los Angeles, but the reasoning has more to do with how the Rams may use their younger tight ends than with Parkinson’s own ability. As Moton wrote:
"Los Angeles selected tight end Max Klare in the second round of the 2026 draft. The Athletic's Nate Atkins believes the Rams want the 2025 second-rounder Terrance Ferguson to "take the lead" in the tight end room.
With two second-rounders behind Parkinson on the depth chart, he'll likely cede a significant number of snaps to both in a contract year."
If that plays out, Parkinson could slide down the pecking order and become available. For the Patriots, that would create a pretty clean opportunity: a one-year swing on a player who could help right away and maybe grow into something more.
The appeal is straightforward. Parkinson would give New England another experienced option without forcing them to make a major commitment. And because Hunter Henry is also not signed for the 2027 season, the Patriots could view Parkinson as a possible future answer at the position if things click.
If he doesn’t fit, the cost should be manageable. If he does, they may have found a useful piece for the offense beyond 2026.
Either way, this is the kind of move Eliot Wolf should at least explore. Parkinson looks like the sort of low-risk, high-reward trade target the Patriots can’t afford to ignore for long.
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