Eagles 2026 Position Report Cards: Tight End

The Starter: Dallas Goedert's Resilient Revival

For a player whose durability has been questioned more than his talent, Dallas Goedert answered every doubter in 2025 with arguably the best season of his eight-year career. The 30-year-old tight end posted career highs in receptions (60) and touchdowns (11, tied for the league lead among tight ends) while racking up 591 receiving yards across 15 games.

Those numbers deserve context. Goedert had missed 22 games due to injuries since 2020 entering the season, battling through shoulder, ankle, and knee issues that kept him sidelined at the worst possible times. The fact that he suited up for 15 of 17 regular-season games was itself a statement. And when he was on the field, Goedert looked every bit like the top-10 tight end the Eagles believed they were getting when they drafted him in the second round back in 2018.

His red zone presence was the story of the season. Eleven touchdowns is elite production at any position, and Goedert became Jalen Hurts' most reliable target inside the 20. The chemistry between the two — developed over four seasons together — showed up in contested catches and back-shoulder throws that lesser tight ends simply cannot make.

But there is a caveat. PFF graded Goedert at just 66.8 overall for the season, ranking him 21st among 37 qualified tight ends. That disconnect between the box score and the film grade tells you something: Goedert's blocking was inconsistent, and his yards-per-route-run numbers were pedestrian outside the red zone. He was a touchdown machine, not a field-stretcher.

Grade: B

The Depth: A Room That Needed Reinforcements

Behind Goedert, the 2025 tight end room was functional but uninspiring. Grant Calcaterra served as the primary backup and showed flashes of competence as a pass-catcher, but he never developed into the legitimate TE2 threat the coaching staff hoped for when they drafted him in the fourth round in 2022. Calcaterra's blocking remained a liability, limiting his snap count in key moments.

Kylen Granson, acquired from the Colts, was a reliable third option but offered little explosive upside. His role was defined by effort and availability rather than playmaking.

The deeper roster pieces — Cameron Latu and E.J. Jenkins — were primarily special teams contributors and blocking-scheme fillers. Neither made a meaningful impact in the passing game during the regular season.

The lack of a true TE2 showed up in the postseason, when defenses could bracket Goedert without fearing anyone else at the position. It was a schematic limitation the Eagles never solved.

Depth Grade: C-

The Offseason: Smart Money, Unfinished Business

The 2026 offseason brought necessary action. With Goedert, Calcaterra, and Granson all hitting free agency simultaneously, the Eagles faced the real possibility of a complete teardown at the position.

Howie Roseman navigated it aggressively. Goedert was re-signed to a one-year, $7 million deal — a discount driven by his age (now 31) and injury history, but also a reflection of the dead cap realities. Releasing Goedert would have triggered over $20 million in dead money, making the re-signing a financial inevitability as much as a football decision.

Calcaterra and Johnny Mundt were also brought back on modest deals, providing familiarity if not upside. But the real depth chart currently reads Goedert, then a significant drop-off to Calcaterra, Mundt, Jaheim Bell (signed to a futures deal after a stint with Pittsburgh), Latu, and Jenkins. That is not a room that inspires confidence.

Where the Eagles Go From Here

The 2026 NFL Draft presents an opportunity to address the long-term future at tight end. Goedert's one-year deal tells you everything about how the front office views the timeline — he is a bridge, not the foundation. By 2027, the Eagles will almost certainly need a new TE1, and drafting one this April would give that player a full year to develop behind Goedert.

The tight end class is not deep in elite prospects, but there are developmental options in the middle rounds that fit what the Eagles need: athletic pass-catchers who can grow into the Zach Ertz/Dallas Goedert mold that has defined the position in Philadelphia for the better part of a decade.

There is also the question of scheme evolution. With Sean Mannion now running the offense as the new coordinator, the tight end's role could shift. If Mannion opts for more 12-personnel looks (two tight ends on the field), the depth behind Goedert becomes critical rather than academic.

Overall Position Grade: B-

Dallas Goedert's individual performance earns solid marks — 11 touchdowns from the tight end position is excellent production by any measure. But the overall room grade is dragged down by the lack of a legitimate second option, the ongoing durability questions with Goedert, and the reality that this is a one-year rental situation rather than a long-term solution.

The Eagles have stability at tight end for 2026. They do not have certainty beyond that. And for a team with Super Bowl aspirations, the gap between stability and certainty is where championships are lost.

The front office knows it. The one-year deal proves it. Now the question is whether they use the draft to start building the next chapter at the position, or roll the dice on this room as constructed. Given Howie Roseman's track record, bet on the former.