Who Should I Start? Donald Parham Jr. or Jake Tonges

Tuesday, June 3, 8:31 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Donald Parham Jr. (Achilles) suffered a torn Achilles tendon on Tuesday and is in danger of missing the entirety of the 2025 season. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the injury. News came through earlier today that the Steelers removed themselves from conversations with the Miami Dolphins for tight end Jonnu Smith, but their tune quickly changed, and now we know why. It's unfortunate news for the 27-year-old, as he's now set for a lengthy recovery process. It's no secret that Pittsburgh has a glaring need at quarterback, though the lack of weapons on the offense is quickly becoming an understated issue. It's unlikely that Parham Jr. would have made a massive impact in 2025. Still, the team's skill players are relatively thin behind wideout DK Metcalf, tight end Pat Freiermuth, and running back Jaylen Warren.

Friday, November 7, 3:01 PM

San Francisco 49ers fourth-year tight end Jake Tonges filled in admirably while teammate George Kittle missed five games with a hamstring injury. However, since Kittle's return, Tonges has seen a total of 16 offensive snaps over the past three weeks. And while he did catch a two-yard touchdown in Week 8, it came on his lone target over that same timeframe. While Kittle has yet to top 4 targets or 45 yards since returning, Tonges no longer appears to have any role in this offense and can confidently be dropped by the select few fantasy managers who might still be holding him. Kittle remains an every-week starter, while the hope remains that the eventual return of quarterback Brock Purdy will put him right back into the weekly TE1 conversation.