Eagles’ Dallas Goedert has been dangled on the trade market
Goedert, the veteran tight end, would need to agree to a restructure — one likely with a pay cut — to return to the Eagles for 2025, a source said.
Dallas Goedert’s future with the Eagles is uncertain as NFL free agency kicks into full gear.
The Eagles tight end, who is under contract for another year, has been dangled on the trade market, NFL sources told The Inquirer.
Goedert’s departure from Philadelphia isn’t a foregone conclusion, though he would need to agree to a restructure — one likely with a pay cut — to return for 2025, a source said.
Goedert, 30, a second-round draft pick in 2018, is slated to earn a base salary of $1.255 million with bonuses of $13.995 million (signing) and $250,000 (workout) coming this season. He carries a cap hit of around $12 million.
With the Eagles unwilling to pay him a total of $15.25 million in cash, he may prefer a release as he would likely be the top tight end on the market. (The free agency legal tampering period began on Monday at noon.)
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman might not want to release Goedert with a potential $11.1 million dead cap hit for 2025. There is one more obvious reason for keeping him: He’s good.
In 10 games last season, Goedert caught 42 passes for 496 yards (11.8-yard average) and two touchdowns. In the postseason, he had 17 catches for 215 yards (10.8 yards per catch) and a touchdown.
Staying healthy has been difficult, though. He has missed 15 games in the last three seasons with injuries. But Goedert offers more than just receiving and has been one of the better run-blocking tight ends in the NFL.
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The Eagles also don’t have an obvious in-house replacement. Grant Calcaterra held down the position in Goedert’s absence last season, but he may not project as a starter. There could be cheaper options than Goedert in free agency, and the draft is projected to be deep in tight ends.
There is still a big cap hit if he’s dealt, but the Eagles would at least get something in return. As for possible compensation, they may not be able to get more than a third-day draft pick for Goedert as he enters his eighth season.
Still, it’s possible the Eagles and Goedert reach an accord that has him staying. A reworked one-year deal could come with a full guarantee — a structure similar to what defensive end Josh Sweat agreed to last offseason — or an extension could help lower the cap hits over the next few seasons.
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Goedert signed a four-year, $57 million contract extension in November 2021, shortly after the Eagles traded tight end Zach Ertz to the Cardinals for a fifth-round pick and cornerback Tay Gowan. Goedert’s best season came that year, with 56 receptions for 830 yards (14.8 average) and four touchdowns in 15 games.
Goedert had other Pro Bowl-worthy seasons, but injuries often denied him the numbers that result in season-end honors.