Los Angeles Rams agree to terms with tight end Colby Parkinson and guard Jonah Jackson

By GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Rams have agreed to contract terms with tight end Colby Parkinson and guard Jonah Jackson, a person with knowledge of the deals said Monday.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the free-agent deals can’t be announced until the new league year begins Wednesday.

Parkinson got a three-year, $22.5 million contract to leave Seattle, according to his representatives at Wasserman NFL. Jackson will leave Detroit to sign a three-year contract potentially worth $51 million with $34 million guaranteed.

Parkinson spent his first four NFL seasons with the Seahawks, catching 57 passes for 618 yards and four touchdowns. The Bay Area native played at Stanford before Seattle made him a fourth-round selection in 2020.

He joins a tight end group headed by Tyler Higbee, who agreed last September to a two-year, $27 million contract extension through 2025. Higbee is an eight-year Rams veteran who has been slowed by injuries in recent years, and Los Angeles didn’t have a standout alternative at tight end last season.

Jackson started 57 games over his first four NFL seasons with the Lions, most recently playing left guard. The former third-round pick made the Pro Bowl after the 2021 season.

The Rams’ starting guards last season were rookie left guard Steve Avila and right guard Kevin Dotson, who agreed last week to a three-year, $48 million deal to return to Los Angeles. Jackson’s arrival could signal the Rams plan to move Avila to center, where he played in college at TCU before moving to guard.

Coleman Shelton, the Rams’ starting center last season, is a free agent.

The Rams have dramatically improved the middle of their offensive line since it struggled throughout the 2022 season, when Los Angeles went 5-12 a year after winning the Super Bowl.

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