Donald Parham has become a pretty important member of the LA Chargers offense. The former XFL tight end has become one of Justin Herbert's go-to red zone targets as he is tied with Keenan Allen for the most touchdowns on the team.
The one downside about Parham, at least in the last two years, has been his health. Parham played only six games for the Bolts last season and when he was on the field he was not 100%. Just four games into the 2023 season Parham has suffered another injury, hurting his wrist in Week 4 against the Las Vegas Raiders.
There were initial concerns that it could be a serious wrist injury for Parham that keeps him out for an extended period of time. Thankfully, Chargers fans received news of the opposite on Tuesday as Parham just suffered a sprained wrist, which should not be a long-term injury.
#Chargers TE Donald Parham Jr. suffered a sprained wrist Sunday, per source. X-Rays were negative. Chargers are on a bye. His return Week 6 is possible but uncertain, the source said.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) October 3, 2023
Donald Parham injury news is huge for the Chargers
With a Week 5 bye, there is a chance that Parham does not end up missing any games for the Chargers. Fans should not hold their breath that Parham will play in Week 6 but he should not be out much longer than that if he does miss time.
While he is not the TE1 on the roster this is a huge development for the offense. Parham is even more important of a red-zone target after Mike Williams' injury. Because of his size, Parham is Justin Herbert's best target for jump-ball contested catches near the goal line.
The tight ends behind Parham are also less than ideal. Stone Smartt is fine as a depth tight end but he is not someone who should consistently be getting TE2 snaps. Behind him is Tre' McKitty, who has continued his extremely poor play from 2022 and might not even last the entire season on the roster.
The last thing the Chargers need is for more offensive players to miss time. We saw the offense get extremely banged up last season, resulting in Justin Herbert throwing to practice squad receivers in some games. Parham may not be a superstar but he is definitely far better than the alternative for the Bolts.