Donald Parham’s first season with the Pittsburgh Steelers is likely over before it begins.
Parham tore his Achilles during OTAs on Tuesday, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Specifics of the injury aren’t known, but he’s now likely to miss all of the 2025 campaign.
Parham signed a one-year, $1.17 million deal with the Steelers this offseason. He got his start with the Los Angeles Chargers, where he played sparingly over the past four seasons after going undrafted out of Stetson.
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The 27-year-old is coming off a career campaign, however, and would have likely played a decent role in the Steelers’ offense this fall. Parham had 285 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 27 catches last season in Los Angeles.
The news came shortly after reports that the Steelers had renewed conversations with Miami Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith, who is seeking a new contract. The possibility for a trade between the two organizations is now still alive, according to Schefter, which makes sense if Parham is out. Smith had a career-high 884 receiving yards and eight touchdowns on 88 catches last season in Miami while picking up his first Pro Bowl nod.
While the tight end situation is in flux — the Steelers still have last year’s starter Pat Freiermuth available, too — it’s far from the biggest piece missing from the Steelers’ offense. The team is still waiting on free agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers to make his decision, which feels like it’s down to them or retirement at this point. There is no timetable for Rodgers’ decision, either. If Rodgers doesn’t move to Pittsburgh, the team is likely looking at Mason Rudolph leading their offense.
The Steelers went 10-7 last year, though they lost in the first round of the playoffs for the fourth straight time. They’ll open the season against the Jets, Rodgers’ former team, on Sept. 7.
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