The Pittsburgh Steelers suffered a brutal loss on Tuesday.
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ESPN’s Adam Schefter shared that the newest Steelers tight end, Donald Parham Jr., has suffered a torn Achilles at OTAs.
Sources: Steelers tight end Donald Parham Jr. suffered a torn Achilles during today’s OTAs that now is likely to end his 2025 season. A brutal injury. https://t.co/fyipieiizU pic.twitter.com/Mxyxkqh8id
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 3, 2025
The 27-year-old tight end signed a deal with the Steelers a few months ago. With Parham now out for the season, the Steelers are quickly pivoting to potentially trading for Dolphins tight end Jonu Smith.
Smith is set to earn $4.8 million this season with the Dolphins, and Miami is currently exploring trade possibilities. With Parham no longer an option in Pittsburgh, the Steelers could intensify their efforts to acquire Smith, who concluded the 2024 campaign on a high note.
Smith had a breakout year, hauling in 88 catches for 884 yards and eight touchdowns — setting new franchise records for a tight end in each category. He also has a history with Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith from their time together in Tennessee and Atlanta, where he previously recorded career-best numbers of 50 receptions, 582 yards, and three touchdowns.
Parham signed a one-year deal with the Steelers this offseason after he spent the first four years of his career with the Los Angeles Chargers. Thus far in his career, Parham has recorded 67 receptions for 764 yards and 11 touchdowns while averaging 11.4 yards per reception in 47 games with 23 starts.
His 2024 season was not a solid one, as the Chargers released him as part of the final roster cuts in late August 2024. A day after the Chargers released him, the Denver Broncos signed him to their practice squad. Parham did not play a single snap in the NFL in 2024.
Before joining the Chargers, Parham made a name for himself in the XFL with the Dallas Renegades. In just five games, he emerged as the league’s top tight end, hauling in 24 receptions for 307 yards — the third-most receiving yards in the entire league — and scoring four touchdowns.
Parham also put together an impressive college career at Stetson University. As a senior, he earned first-team All-American honors after catching 85 passes for 1,319 yards and 13 touchdowns — leading both the FBS and FCS in each of those categories among tight ends that year.
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