In one month, there might be many Philadelphia Eagles players who could be participating in their final training camp with the team, or even their last in the NFL.
Training camp can be a brutal experience for football players, as the stakes are high in either achieving their dreams of making the NFL or losing a job. The Eagles have several positions that are going to be competitive, but there might not be one that is more competitive than at tight end.
Dallas Goedert and rookie second-round pick Eli Stowers are locks to make the 53-man roster, but the rest of the six tight ends are fighting for potentially one more spot. While there is one with a ton of experience in Philly, that doesn't mean his job is secure.
Grant Calcaterra is facing a pressure-filled training camp in 2026
The Eagles selected Calcaterra in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft with hopes of being the next great tight end in the franchise's history, but it hasn't quite worked out like that. He's been more of an average backup to third stringers for all of his time.
Calcaterra's best season came in 2024 when he has to replace Goedert for a period of time with his injury. In 17 games with 13 starts, Calcaterra caught 24 passes for 298 yards and one touchdown. His other three seasons did not have him even hitting over 100 yards in the year and last year was the only other year he caught a touchdown, which happened in Week 18 against the Washington Commanders with the backups playing.
Entering 2026, the position battle is going to heat up at tight end as Calcaterra will have to compete with Johnny Mundt for the final spot. Mundt was taking starter reps at OTAs, giving him an edge on the competition.
The main reason Mundt has the advantage for the moment is that he and new Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion were teammates for years with the Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings. Plus, Mundt is a very good blocking tight end who fits Mannion's scheme.
That blocking aspect of the argument is a big problem for Calcaterra. He was at one point ranked 85th out of 88 tight ends in the NFL in run blocking last season, according to Pro Football Focus.
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It certainly feels like Eagles fans are about to watch the final two months of Calcaterra's time with the franchise coming up, as he better step up or be looking for a brand new job after training camp.
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