Injuries have been a major storyline all year for the Los Angeles Rams. Several players are dealing with more than just bumps and bruises, leading to injured reserve stints and missed games. One guy who's doing everything he can to be on the field for his team is Colby Parkinson.
He left Sunday's game against the Las Vegas Raiders on three separate occasions after being in visible pain. He exited in the first half, then twice more in the second half. And yet, every time, he came back into the game and made a play on offense.
Parkinson has been listed on the injury report for knee and shoulder issues, but he's only missed one game. And it's because he's so incredibly tough.
He received some high praise from his quarterback, Matthew Stafford, who's
one of the toughest players this game has ever seen. Stafford told reporters that the world doesn't even know "the half of it" with Parkinson, complimenting his toughness and commitment to the team no matter what.
"If you guys knew the half of it," Stafford said. "This guy’s unbelievable. He’s been great. His attitude has been unbelievable for what all is going on with him. Proud to be a teammate of him. You play a long time in this league and certain people just show up and keep showing up no matter what. And we got a bunch of those guys on this team. He’s one of them. He’s a great example. What he means to our team, what he means to our offense, to our locker room, it’s really cool and just happy to share the huddle with him.”
Parkinson finished with five catches for 48 yards, helping the Rams win by 14 points on the road in a must-have game. His lower body was in pain at one point, and at another, he was lying on the turf holding his back.
But he finished the game and never even received a "questionable to return" tag. It's easy to see why Stafford is so proud of his tight end after a gutsy performance like Sunday's.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Matthew Stafford praises Colby Parkinson for 'unbelievable' toughness
