The Eagles Have Zero Tight Ends Under Contract — And That's Not an Exaggeration

The Eagles Have Zero Tight Ends Under Contract — And That's Not an Exaggeration

Read that headline again. Zero. The Philadelphia Eagles, a team that has historically relied on tight end production as a cornerstone of their offensive identity, currently have ZERO tight ends under contract for 2026. Not one. Not a blocking tight end. Not a practice squad body. Nobody. The cupboard isn't bare — there is no cupboard.

This is a five-alarm fire that somehow isn't getting enough attention. Dallas Goedert is a free agent. The backups are gone. The Eagles are walking into the offseason with a position group that literally doesn't exist on paper. And while Goedert could theoretically return, the reality is he's coming off another injury-plagued season and the Eagles need to seriously evaluate whether bringing him back at a premium price makes sense.

So what are the options? Let's start with the draft, because that's where the real excitement is.

Colston Loveland and Tyler Warren have been getting the most buzz as the top tight ends in this class, but the name that should have Eagles fans salivating is Max Klare. Daniel Jeremiah — one of the most respected draft analysts in the business — recently compared Klare to Sam LaPorta. Let that comp marinate. LaPorta walked into Detroit as a rookie and immediately became one of the best tight ends in football. If Klare has even 80% of that trajectory, the Eagles would be getting a franchise-changing player.

Klare has the size, the athleticism, and the receiving chops to be a mismatch weapon in the NFL. He's not just a move tight end — he can line up in-line, block well enough to stay on the field on early downs, and then torch linebackers and safeties in the passing game. That versatility is exactly what the Eagles need, especially in a Kellen Moore offense that loves to feature tight ends in the red zone.

The question is whether Klare will be available at 23. If the tight end run starts early, the Eagles might need to be aggressive. But this is also a historically deep tight end class, which means there could be quality options at 54 and 68 as well. The Eagles don't have to panic — but they do have to prioritize.

Could the Eagles go tight end at 23? Absolutely. And honestly, there's a strong case for it. If you're Howie Roseman and you're staring at a roster with literally zero tight ends, and a player like Klare is sitting there with a LaPorta comparison attached to his name, you pull the trigger. You don't get cute. You don't trade back. You take the guy who fills your biggest hole with a potential Pro Bowl player.

There's been some noise about Sadiq at 23 as well, though that feels like a reach. The tight end class is deep enough that the Eagles could address edge or receiver at 23 and still land a quality tight end in the second round. It's about value, and Howie Roseman has historically been one of the best in the league at finding it.

The Goedert question looms large. He's been a very good Eagle when healthy, but 'when healthy' is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that sentence. If the Eagles can bring Goedert back on a team-friendly deal — a one-year prove-it contract, perhaps — that buys time for a rookie tight end to develop. But if Goedert wants top-of-market money, the Eagles should wish him well and invest in the future.

Here's the bottom line: the Eagles cannot enter the 2026 season with a tight end room assembled entirely from free agent scraps and undrafted rookies. This draft class gives them the opportunity to find a long-term answer at the position, and with zero players currently under contract, there's no excuse not to make it a priority.

The tight end position in Philadelphia is starting from scratch. That's terrifying. But it's also an opportunity — a chance to find the next great Eagles tight end in a draft class that might produce three or four Pro Bowlers at the position. The Eagles just have to be bold enough to grab one.