Eagles Unlikely To Retain TE Dallas Goedert Absent Pay Cut

Several weeks ago, we heard the Eagles were interested in trading tight end Dallas Goedert. One report that surfaced at the time indicated the only way Goedert returns to Philadelphia in 2025 is if he accepts a pay cut.

ESPN’s Tim McManus offers more support for that notion, saying it is difficult to envision the Eagles retaining Goedert at his current rate of pay. Although the 30-year-old TE is only due a $1.25MM base salary for 2025 – the last year of his current deal – his option bonus of nearly $14MM is seemingly driving the club’s willingness to seek a trade (h/t Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia).

As McManus implies, the Eagles – who already have sizable commitments on the books for skill-position talent like Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Saquon Barkley – may not view Goedert as a core part of their future. As such, they are apparently looking to extract some value for him now rather than simply allowing him to walk in free agency in 2026.

In addition to the option bonus, the fact that Goedert has missed 15 games due to injury over the past five seasons is also working against him, per McManus. On the other hand, he has remained a valuable contributor both as a blocker and receiver, and Philadelphia does not have an obvious replacement on the roster (their recent additions of Harrison Bryant and Kylen Granson notwithstanding). The top free agent tight ends have long been taken off the board, and the reigning Super Bowl champs will likely not be in a position to draft one of this year’s elite TE prospects absent a significant trade-up from their No. 32 pick.

The Eagles are not setting a high bar in trade talks. They are reportedly seeking a fourth-round selection in exchange for Goedert, and they are said to be willing to accept a 2026 or 2027 pick to facilitate a deal. The actual cash outlay aside, only a post-June 1 trade (or release) would yield any savings on the 2025 cap sheet. But even a post-June 1 transaction of some kind would only create a 2025 savings of roughly $4MM.

Still, it sounds like Goedert may have already played his last snap in an Eagles uniform. At last week’s league meetings, head coach Nick Sirianni was asked whether he wants his TE1 back. Sirianni simply replied, “[r]ight now, he’s on our football team.”

Without some sort of contract restructure, that may not be the case for much longer. 

View Comments (18)