Goedert scores twice in win over Commanders

Goedert avoided a serious injury, but the veteran tight end will still be sidelined for a few weeks. It’s a blow to an Eagles passing game that has struggled coming out of the gate, as Goedert has already tallied five receptions for 81 yards and two touchdowns in the first six quarters of football he has played this season. Veteran TE Johnny Mundt should be the favorite to replace Goedert going forward; he stepped in to play 49 snaps against the Titans. Mundt has 76 career receptions in 116 games and shouldn’t be viewed as an option to replace Goedert in fantasy leagues.

Goedert exited in the second quarter of Sunday’s game and did not return to the field. The 31-year-old tight end will undergo an MRI to confirm the severity of his injury, but it sounds like he could be at risk of missing some time. With rookie tight end Eli Stowers (quad) already on injured reserve, veteran Johnny Mundt would be in line to see an increased role after leading all Eagles tight ends in snaps (49) and routes run (20) against the Titans. Mundt caught just two passes for eight yards and will not be on the fantasy radar for Week 3 against the Bears even if he does draw the start.

Goedert got roughed up run blocking early in the second quarter. He was then absent for the following drive, earning the questionable tag. It’s not a good development for someone with Goedert’s injury history, though to the naked eye, it did not have the looks of a season-ending injury. Goedert had a four-yard catch on two targets before departing. Johnny Mundt is the next man up at tight end. Second-round rookie Eli Stowers (quad, hamstring) is currently on injured reserve.

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.

The two sides have been working hard to make this happen, having agreed to postpone the void date on Goedert’s expiring contract twice in the last week. Re-signing Goedert keeps him on board through the 2026 season and allows the Eagles to spread out the $20.5 million cap hit they were set to absorb. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo previously suggested that the Eagles can’t pay Goedert if they keep A.J. Brown, and they can’t take both salary cap hits. One domino has fallen. Only time will tell if Garafolo was correct. Stay tuned.

Earlier today, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported that “the Eagles will not trade A.J. Brown at this time.” Garafolo said he “does not sense real momentum right now,” but he believes general manager Howie Roseman will engage in potential trade talks over the weekend. The Eagles face $20.5 million in dead money if they allow Goedert’s contract to expire at the new void deadline on Monday. Signing him to a new deal would allow them to spread some of that $20.5 million around to other years. Brown carries a cap hit greater than $23 million this year. Releasing him pre-June 1 would result in more than $72 million in dead money and a loss of $49 million in cap room. Per Over The Cap, the Eagles build team-friendly trade windows into their contracts. If the Eagles trade Brown before June 1st, the dead money drops to $48.939 million and the cap hit drops to $25.5 million. The two players’ futures with the team “are interconnected.”

On Wednesday, the Eagles bumped Goedert’s void date back to today. The two sides are attempting to negotiate an extension that would keep Goedert, 31, in an Eagles uniform. It is clear that both sides would like to come to an agreement, but it is possible that Goedert is pricing himself out of the Eagles’ salary cap comfort zone. At the end of the day, it seems likely that they will work something out.

Goedert was set to become a free agent, but the sides are trying to hammer out a new deal. All but traded by the Eagles last year, a deal never quite came to fruition, and then 30-year-old Goedert had one of his best overall campaigns. With A.J. Brown’s Eagles future remaining up in the air, losing Goedert could be a luxury the Eagles can no longer afford. The fact that Goedert has willingly pushed back the date strongly suggests an agreement will get done.

That’s not necessarily a guarantee something will get done, but it’s not like the Eagles have better options on the roster than Goedert after his 11-touchdown regular season. The 31-year-old should be a decent bet for low-end TE1 status in a return to Philadelphia, should it happen.

Goedert and the Eagles danced around a separation for most of last offseason, including trade rumors around the NFL Draft, but Philadelphia couldn’t find a real replacement for the 31-year-old tight end. An impending free agent, we’d expect Goedert to have an interesting market but he might struggle to land a multi-year deal considering his advanced age.