The Philadelphia Eagles were without one of their key offensive players in Sunday’s win over the Kansas City Chiefs, as Dallas Goedert was out with a knee injury.
Without Goedert on the field, the Eagles lost not only a quality blocker but a safety valve in the passing game. That said, Philadelphia turned to Grant Calcaterra, who moved into the TE1 role, with Kylen Granson handling TE2 duties.
Calcaterra, who started in 13 games last year, didn’t do much of anything against the Chiefs’ defense. He had one reception (two carries) for six yards. However, it wasn’t just his lack of being a threat in the passing game, but he also struggled as a pass blocker.
Grant Calcaterra Sparks TE Convo After Underwhelming Performance in Week 2
According to Pro Football Focus, Calcaterra was the lowest graded Eagles player on offense with a 42.1 overall grade in Week 2. He also possessed a 9.3 pass blocking grade and a 40.4 run blocking grade (DeVonta Smith had the lowest grade – 30.3).
In the Eagles’ offense, you not only need a tight end who can be a weapon in the passing game, but also hold his own as a blocker. Calcaterra failed in both parts.
On social media, Eagles fans pointed out on the first play of the game how Calcaterra whiffed on a block, and it led to a Chiefs defender getting a free run at Jalen Hurts. Granson tried to cover it up for Calcaterra, as Hurts had to try to escape from the pocket.
If Calcaterra had done his job on his blocking assignment, Hurts would have had a wide-open A.J. Brown for a potential big play in the passing game. It’s the little things that matter in football games and could make or break a play.
Most Eagles fans thought that the team would address the TE position in this year’s NFL draft, which was loaded with talent at the position. Goedert and Calcaterra are under contract for this season, so it made sense for the Eagles to draft a potential replacement.
The Eagles did not do that, leaving them with Goedert and Calcaterra, which isn’t ideal due to Goedert’s ability to stay healthy and Calcaterra's subpar blocking skills.
Now, Philadelphia could look to bring someone in, especially if Goedert’s injury lingers for a few weeks. There are a couple of veteran free-agent tight ends available, such as Gerald Everett (72.6 pass blocking grade in 2024 with the Chicago Bears) and Jordan Akins, who would be upgrades over Calcaterra.
However, the Eagles will likely ride it out with Calcaterra and hope to see some improvement in the coming weeks. And if necessary, they will make a call-up from the practice squad like they did in Week 2 with Cameron Latu.