The Philadelphia Eagles' tight end position took an interesting turn on Thursday with multiple elements now being factored into the situation.
First off, backup tight end E.J. Jenkins was released by the team. While there's a decent chance he gets re-signed to the team, it's still interesting timing to move on from Jenkins.
That leaves the Eagles with just Dallas Goedert and Johnny Mundt on the active roster. Philly also has Eli Stowers and Grant Calcaterra on IR, and Zach Ertz is on the practice squad for the Eagles.
A new problem has occurred for the Eagles with Goedert dealing with a knee injury, as he did not practice on Thursday. There is a real chance he might miss the team's Week 7 showdown against the Dallas Cowboys. That leaves the Eagles with some tough decisions to make at tight end.
Examining the Eagles' situation at tight end and assessing the choices
Goedert has a chance to miss the game because he has already missed multiple games this season for the Eagles with the knee injury. That would be a big loss for the Eagles since he is third on the team in receiving yards and second in touchdowns with two.
The most likely scenario for the Eagles is to officially sign Ertz to the 53-man roster. He no longer has any practice squad elevations left on the season, so the Eagles would either need to sign him off the practice squad or leave him on there.
Stowers is also an option for Philly to remove him from IR and have him on the active roster. This could finally be the time for the rookie second-round pick to step up since he struggled in preseason and training camp. He has been practicing fully over the last week-plus, so he's clearly healthy enough to play.
The concern is that Stowers might not be ready to play. There were reports before the season that they were going to make the 2026 season a "redshirt" year for him.
Calcaterra could also get moved off IR and be on the active roster. The Eagles still love what he brings to the offense, but fans have been over him over the last year with his lack of blocking abilities and inconsistency with his hands.
What should the Eagles do at tight end?
Regardless, the Eagles are going to have to add another tight end on the active roster with the extra spot open. That does leave a clear option: signing Ertz to the roster.
Stowers has proven that he is not ready to be a starter or play based on his struggles in training camp. He is not a strong blocker and it appeared as though the NFL level has overwhelmed him early on.
Ertz is a veteran who has done it all in the NFL. He has already done a decent job in the tight end room in his limited reps on the field. The safe choice is to sign him off the practice squad and give him reps.
Philly needs a pass catcher since Mundt is primarily a blocker. Granted, he hasn't been good this season, but the Eagles use him alot.
Goedert has been the subject of a lot of trade talk for the Eagles over the last few weeks with the team being 2-4. What Philly does there will play a role in how they handle everything moving forward with the room.
Read more: Eagles signing Evan Neal really does feel like the end is near for Landon Dickerson
The tight end room is more of a mess than Eagles fans might be aware of. Hopefully, the Eagles can get it figured out, as they will play a big role in helping Tanner McKee out at quarterback.
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