Dallas Goedert's may still be odd man out despite a tight end-free Eagles draft

Poll any sect of Philadelphia Eagles fandom. It doesn't matter whether they live in the Delaware Valley or anywhere else on Planet Earth. What you hear said about Dallas Goedert will be pretty consistent.

Everyone loves him. No one questions his talent. Few believe he'll be on the roster come Week 1 of the NFL season, but no one will throw a party upon his exit.

He's earned his wings. He's every bit an Eagle as Jason Kelce, Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, or Lane Johnson, even if his career here won't be as long. His stats never truly evidenced how special of a talent he has been, but this game can be cruel sometimes.

It often chews guys up and spits them out or, in Goedert's case, its message to them is 'you've gotten old and expensive, and we're moving on'.

Dallas Goedert still figures to be the odd-man out despite the Eagles ignoring the tight end position in the NFL Draft.

The 2025-26 NFL season doubles as Dallas Goedert's eighth, but for the first time in his career, there's seemingly uncertainty about where that season will be played. This is also a contract year. He turned 30 years old in January. He has missed 15 regular-season games over the past three seasons due to injury after signing a four-year, $57 million extension during the 2022 NFL offseason.

Therein lies the problem. He represents an $11.7 million cap hit this season. Philly has dangled him as trade bait, but nothing substantial has been offered to convince Howie Roseman and his staff to execute a deal.

We thought, with eight picks entering the most recent NFL Draft, Philly might use one to add a tight end. They didn't despite adding more picks and winding up with ten new players and a fifth-rounder when the draft rolls around again in 2026.

As you might imagine, Howie and head coach Nick Sirianni were asked about this during their final sit-down with the media following the draft's third day. Their response was the typical buttoned-up and classy explanation we'd expect from a top-tier franchise, but whether you're in favor or opposed to seeing Philly move on, this won't change your theory on what their intentions are.

“Dallas is part of the team as we speak,” Roseman said on Saturday night. “Obviously, as we go forward, we're going to continue to address things on this team, and right now, nothing further.”

Obviously, this is one of those decisions that has nothing to do with talent. There are seven tight ends on Philly's roster currently. 88 is the best of the bunch, so clearly, any thoughts of moving on are based on money (and, quite possibly, Philly learning during recent seasons that Goedert's absence hasn't kept the team from winning).

We'll see what happens. Seeing him play elsewhere will hurt as it did with Brian Dawkins, Reggie White, DeSean Jackson, and LeSean McCoy, but that's the nature of the business. It's a nomadic profession. Dallas Goedert will forever be an Eagle. For now, however, we'll have to come to grips with knowing one of our favorite Birds' resumes will be sprinkled with shades of another team's colors.