Eli Stowers hits IR with hamstring, quad injuries

Stowers had his 21-day practice window opened after he started the season on the injured reserve due to hamstring and quad injury. The Eagles also opened fellow TE Grant Calcaterra’s practice window; Calcaterra was also limited due to a back injury. Both have a chance to return Week 6 against the Panthers or Week 7 against the Cowboys.

Stowers is listed as the Eagles’ co-TE3, so even if he is absent, that will not be a huge deal. The team is undoubtedly hoping he develops over the course of the season, so tracking his recovery is worthwhile. For now, though, TE Dallas Goedert is the clear-cut tight end to roster in Philadelphia.

Stowers had a rough training camp and has been sidelined since late August by the hamstring injury. He does not need to be rostered in 12-team leagues.

Stowers has been dealing with a hamstring injury he suffered in the preseason and he opens Week 1 with a limited practice. The 23-year-old rookie was already in line for a limited role this season after a subpar training camp but now may be limited even further with a soft tissue injury. Stowers is off fantasy radars in redraft leagues but his absence propels Dallas Goedert into borderline top-10 tight end territory.

Stowers missed his second straight practice Tuesday as he deals with a hamstring issue. There is no indication this is a major injury yet, but something to keep an eye on as the Eagles prepare for preseason Week 3. The rookie second-round pick has struggled in camp and comes into the NFL as a raw tight end prospect. Don’t expect the Eagles’ tight end rotation to change drastically should Stowers miss time in the 2026 regular season.

Stowers was somewhat involved in the first half but the rookie tight end had a long gain of just six yards in the first exhibition game of the season. The 23-year-old has significant long-term upside because of his athleticism, but it’s very clear — at least early on — that Stowers has work to do before he’s a fantasy option in 2026.

Stowers is reportedly still working with the third-team offense. The rookie tight end has been a late-round target for best ball drafters hoping to secure late-season production from their TE3. While that outcome is still possible, it would be nice to see Stowers gain a little ground this month.

Kempski believes Mundt’s blocking ability keeps him in the TE2 spot for now. He also notes that “Stowers was quiet during spring practices, and even seemed limited in practice due to an injury,” sporting a sleeve on one leg. Missing spring practice reps would certainly slow down a rookie’s development. Regardless, if Stowers is going to show up in the box score, he will likely do so late in the 2026 season. For now, treat him as a worthwhile best ball TE3, and a name to know for late-season waiver wire purposes in re-draft.

Stowers (6’4/239) was originally a four-star quarterback recruit at Texas A&M. After two seasons of holding the clipboard, he transferred to New Mexico State. Instead of having him back up Diego Pavia, the Aggies staff moved him to tight end and he immediately took to the position, going for 366 yards as a junior. Pavia and Stowers both transferred to Vanebrilt and the duo’s connection blossomed. Stowers racked up 638 yards in 2024 and 769 yards in 2025. With 62 grabs and four scores, Stowers won the John Mackey Award as the nation’s top tight end. His draft stock hit new heights at the NFL Combine when he set the vertical record at 45.5” and the tight end broad jump record at 11’3”. Add in a 4.51 40 and you’ve got a 90th-percentile athlete, even when adjusting for his slightly undersized build. Stowers has too much speed for linebackers and is still too big for most corners. At his best, he’s a matchup nightmare for opposing defensive coordinators. His blocking is still a work in progress and he’ll likely top out as a functional inline blocker in the pros. Even if that’s the case, he could wind up as the best pass-catcher in the class when all is said and done. That, however, may take a year to materialize. Stowers will likely spend his rookie season rotating in behind Dallas Goedert. Goedert is a free agent after 2026, meaning Stowers could take over the starting gig in his second season.

He links them to Vanderbilt TE Eli Stowers in a mock draft filed a few days before the actual event, and notes that they need someone to complement the “all-around play of Hunter Henry and the blocking prowess of Julian Hill.” The Patriots never replaced Austin Hooper, who fled to the Falcons in free agency. A Day 2 pick on a receiving tight end — Stowers or otherwise — could cut into Henry’s TE1 odds in 2026.