For the past eight years, Dallas Goedert has given the Philadelphia Eagles solid, not spectacular play at tight end. He's a beloved veteran in the locker room and a fan favorite, but he's never been an elite player at the position, having reached 700 yards just twice and only reaching 60 catches for the first time last season.
Head coach Nick Sirianni knows Goedert will give him somewhere around 500 receiving yards and four touchdown receptions — except for last season when he went bonkers with 11 scores. Other than that, he's an above-average blocker, a team player, and not much more.
That's why, now that he'll be 31 this season and his prime years might be behind him, the Eagles only gave Goedert a one-year, $7 million deal to bring him back. As such, it looks like his time in Philly could be nearing the end soon.
Eagles Might be Ready to Move on from Dallas Goedert
Besides Goedert, the Eagles also gave one-year deals to fellow TEs Grant Calcaterra, Stone Smartt, and Johnny Mundt in free agency. Adding two outside guys and keeping both of their free agents at the position makes it feel like they're not fully sold on that room.
While none of them should pose a legitimate threat to Goedert, when there's smoke, there's fire.
The Eagles will be on the clock at No. 23 in the first round of the NFL draft, and while Oregon's Kenyon Sadiq isn't likely to be there, general manager Howie Roseman is a master of pulling the strings and moving up and down in the draft, so you can never rule out that possibility. Also, Vanderbilt's Eli Stower and Ohio State's Max Klare will be available on Day 2 of the draft.
More than that, the free agent class of 2027 is also quite strong at the position. Kyle Pitts might be a free agent if he doesn't get a long-term contract and plays under the franchise tag, and even if that's not the case, T.J. Hockenson, Evan Engram, Tucker Kraft, and Sam LaPorta could all be up for grabs.
The Eagles' offense — especially the passing game — will be in the spotlight with Sean Mannion taking the reins as offensive coordinator. As such, Goedert might have an opportunity to prove that last year's scoring frenzy wasn't a fluke and that he can be a consistent contributor throughout the back half of his career.
For now, though, it looks like the groundwork has been laid for a potential split. Whether Goedert can do anything to alter the Eagles' plans remains to be seen, but he must do more to prove that he can be their long-term TE1.