PHILADELPHIA — The Eagles will be without one of their best offensive players for an extended period.
Tight end Dallas Goedert is expected to miss significant time with a shoulder injury suffered against the Washington Commanders, according to a league source confirming an NFL Network report.
Goedert seemingly suffered the injury during the fourth quarter of the team’s 32-21 loss at Lincoln Financial Field on Monday night. The 27-year-old was tackled by his face mask and fumbled the football before writhing on the ground in pain. Goedert spent some time in the medical tent but eventually returned to the game.
According to a league source, Goedert was still undergoing tests Tuesday afternoon with no imminent decision on whether he’ll go on injured reserve. If he does go on IR, he’ll have to miss at least four games before being eligible to return.
Goedert has been one of the best tight ends in the NFL this season and has been among the league leaders in yards after the catch. His 544 receiving yards rank second on the Eagles behind only star receiver A.J. Brown. His 366 yards after the catch leads all of the league’s tight ends and ranks fifth overall.
Goedert’s YAC numbers are largely thanks to his heavy usage in the screen and run-pass option games. Option plays with Goedert releasing to the flat, as well as tight end screens, have been a staple of the offense through the first nine games of the season. According to Next Gen Stats, Goedert’s average depth of target is 4.7 yards, which is among the lowest in the NFL.
“Dallas is one of the premier tight ends in this league right now,” offensive coordinator Shane Steichen said last week. “He continues to show it week in and week out, what he does on the field. It starts in the meeting rooms. It starts on the practice field. The way he takes care of his body to get ready for football games. And the way he mentally prepares for football games.
“Then just his strength and size and his quickness and his play strength,” Steichen added. “It’s at the top of the league right now without question.”
While his contributions to the pass game are more obvious, Goedert’s absence may impact the Eagles’ running game even more. Goedert’s versatility as an in-line blocker and a receiving threat helps Nick Sirianni and Steichen break tendencies out of different personnel groupings.
The Eagles use a heavy dose of 12- and 13-personnel with two or three tight ends on the field, respectively, but Goedert’s receiving ability still gives them the flexibility to throw out of those heavy formations. On the flip side, Goedert’s blocking ability helps the Eagles run out of lighter personnel packages with three receivers on the field.
“Dallas Goedert needs to be in the conversation for best tight ends in the NFL,” Sirianni said earlier this month. “He’s a big-time player. He can do it many different ways. He does it in the intermediate game, he does it in the short passing game, he does it in the screen game, and then he’s an all-around good blocker. There aren’t a lot of guys like him.”
Without Goedert, the Eagles are thin at tight end. Jack Stoll and Grant Calcaterra, the only other tight ends on the active roster, will likely each see their roles increase. Stoll, a second-year player out of Nebraska, has played 40% of the Eagles’ offensive snaps and has proved to be a willing blocker. Calcaterra, a rookie out of SMU, is more of a receiving threat. He has played 15% of the team’s offensive snaps so far; his lone catch was a 40-yarder against the Commanders in Week 3.
The Eagles also have Tyree Jackson, an undrafted rookie from 2021 whose promising first season ended with a torn ACL last December. The team opened the 21-day practice window for Jackson on Oct. 26 and will have to activate him off IR for him to continue practicing past Wednesday.
Jackson, a converted quarterback out of the University of Buffalo, flashed potential at his new position during last year’s training camp. He played in the regular-season finale against Dallas last season and had three catches for 22 yards and a touchdown before leaving in the fourth quarter with the knee injury. The 6-foot-7, 249-pounder is primarily a receiving tight end rather than a capable blocker at this point.
“Jack Stoll has done a heck of a job in the run game,” Steichen said earlier this month when asked about the backup tight ends. “[He] does anything and everything that’s asked of him. Then Grant has done a really nice job coming along in the pass game as well. The way he’s able to run routes. Tyree is continuing to improve and getting back in this thing.”
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Jeff McLane contributed to this report.
