TE Colby Parkinson leaving Seattle Seahawks for division rival
Mar 11, 2024, 11:58 AM | Updated: 3:44 pm
Colby Parkinson takes the field in the Seattle Seahawks throwbacks on Oct. 29, 2023. (Jane Gershovich/Getty Images)
(Jane Gershovich/Getty Images)
The legal tampering period of NFL free agency has begun, and the Seattle Seahawks have reportedly lost their first player of the offseason.
Seahawks 2024 Offseason Tracker: Free agents, coach moves and more
Tight end Colby Parkinson will join the NFC West rival Los Angeles Rams after the signing period begins Wednesday, according to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter.
Parkinson confirmed the report on social media.
Per Schefter, Parkinson will sign a three-year, $22.5 million contract with the Rams, with $15.5 million guaranteed.
The move will be a homecoming for Parkinson, who attended high school in Westlake Village, Calif., which is near the Rams’ training complex and about 40 miles from SoFi Stadium.
Another Seahawks tight end lands in LA as a free agent
The 6-foot-7, 251-pound Parkinson was a fourth-round pick by the Seahawks in the 2020 NFL Draft out of Stanford. He was limited by injuries as a rookie but has been a solid piece of Seattle’s offseason each of the past two seasons.
In 2022, Parkinson set career-high marks with 25 receptions on 34 targets, two touchdowns and 322 receiving yards. He tied all of those numbers in 2023 except receiving yards, which dipped to 247.
Geno to Parkinson! These @Seahawks don't quit.
📺: #SEAvsTEN on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/UIg1XAk0MB pic.twitter.com/iAqPo3F4VM— NFL (@NFL) December 24, 2023
The Rams went 10-7 in 2023 to make the NFC playoffs, while the Seahawks went 9-8 and missed the postseason. Seattle made a coaching change this offseason, naming previous Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald the successor to previous head coach Pete Carroll. The Rams, meanwhile, are entering their eighth year under Sean McVay, an offensive-minded coach who led LA to a Super Bowl title at the end of the 2021 season.
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