Howie figures it out and Eagles lock up Dallas Goedert for a ninth season

Dallas Goedert is returning to the Eagles for a ninth season, reported first by Adam Schefter of ESPN and confirmed by NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Goedert has been in limbo since the start of free agency as he and the Eagles have tried to find common ground on a contract while Howie Roseman simultaneously navigated the A.J. Brown situation.

The Eagles twice pushed back the deadline for Goedert’s contract to void, giving the two sides more time to figure out a contract. If the Eagles were forced to release Goedert, they would have taken on a huge $20 million cap hit because of the void years written into his contract last year.

Salary cap aside, this is a huge move for the Eagles, who don’t have another viable receiving tight end on the roster. 

Goedert is 31 but coming off another productive season, with 60 catches for 591 yards and 13 touchdowns, including two in the playoff loss to the 49ers.

Goedert ranks fifth in Eagles history with his 409 catches and ninth with 35 touchdowns. Among tight ends, only his former teammate, Zach Ertz, has had more catches, yards or touchdowns in an Eagles uniform. 

Goedert is also the leading postseason receiver in Eagles histoy, with 56 catches for 595 yards and five touchdowns. His 56 catches are  7^th-most in NFL history by a tight end in the playoffs, his 595 yards are 8^th-most and his six touchdowns are 5^th-most. Among tight ends with at least 50 career postseason targets, his 74.7 catch percentage is 4^th-highest all-time, behind only Travis Kelce, Keith Jackson and Jason Witten.

Since 2019, Goedert’s first big season, he ranks fifth in the NFL among tight ends in yards and touchdowns and eighth in catches.

Goedert’s career average of 40 yards per game is highest in NFL history by a tight end who’s never made a Pro Bowl. Dustin Keller, who played for the Jets from 2008 through 2012, is second at 39.9. 

Goedert has been a model of consistency as an Eagle, with seven straight seasons with at least 400 receiving yards. The only Eagles with more 400-yard seasons in a row are Hall of Famer Harold Carmichael (11 from 1983 through 1983) and Pete Retzlaff (9 from 1958 through 1966).

Goedert’s return gives Jalen Hurts one of his most trusted receivers as he begins play in a new offensive system. Hurts has completed 268 passes to Goedert since 2020, and he’s only completed more to DeVonta Smith (347) and A.J. Brown (318).

What Goedert’s contract means for Brown remains to be seen. Howie Roseman has been open to trading Brown with the right return – reportedly at least a 1^st-round pick and a 2^nd-round pick – and the cap hits the Eagles would have incurred by releasing Goedert and trading Brown would have made signing other players challenging.

No details yet on this one-year contract, but Goedert earned $10 million last year and has earned $57,389,546 in his first eight NFL seasons, according to Spotrac.

With a ninth year in an Eagles uniform, Goedert will tie Ertz and Chad Lewis for 2^nd-longest tenure by an Eagles tight end. Brent Celek played here 11 years, from 2007 through 2017.