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Dallas Goedert has been waiting four long years to be the starting tight end for the Philadelphia Eagles. And a little bout with COVID-19 wasn’t about to keep him out of his first game as the solo act.
The team activated Goedert from the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Thursday, October 21 and he’ll be out there in Week 7. The 26-year-old said he was mostly symptom-free, aside from being a a little “sore and ache-y” for two days. Goedert is fully vaccinated, but still had to quarantine away from the team for 10 days. Not an easy task considering his roommate is Avonte Maddox.
“The worst [symptom] was boredom,” Goedert said. “I slept a lot.”
Now Goedert is back and ready to roll. He returned to find a quiet locker room devoid of Zach Ertz which was a bittersweet sight for the confident North Dakotan. Yes, he viewed the three-time Pro Bowler as a mentor – Goedert admitted to picking up parts of Ertz’s game – but his main goal was to be a starter in the NFL.
Stuck in a timeshare with Ertz, that dream was blocked by the Super Bowl shadow of an Eagles legend. Not anymore.
“It was mutual between him and I, neither one of us really wanted to be splitting time,” Goedert told reporters. “We both thought we should be No. 1 tight ends, that we should be on the field on first, second and third down. It was what it was, you know, we’ve been doing it for so long. I understand the situation we had with him and I there, but splitting time wasn’t really something that either one of us really wanted to do and excited to have the role of being in there more.”
Don’t read that as disrespect towards Ertz. A gripe for the front office, sure. Goedert wasn’t able to develop a good rhythm with constant subbing, plus all the 12 personnel.
“For me, it’ll be easier to get in the flow of the game, stay in the flow of the game,” Goedert said. “And I have more plays so even plays that aren’t designed for me, I can set up other plays that I have that will be coming later on.”
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Contract Negotiations Remain Stalled
The other piece to Goedert’s complicated puzzle is his contract extension. He’s in the last year of his rookie deal and becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2022. The Eagles walked away from the negotiating table in the offseason, but talks appear to be ongoing between the two sides.
Goedert wants somewhere in the neighborhood of five years at $70 million, according to reports, although he didn’t want to comment on it.
“I leave that to my agent. I want to be here. I love Philadelphia,” Goedert said. “I love playing here, but I’m letting him and Howie [Roseman] handle that, and I’m just focused on winning some games.”
His first three seasons don’t translate into $70 million worth of production: 137 career receptions for 1,465 yards and 12 touchdowns in 42 games. (Compare that to Ertz: 169 catches for 2,024 and nine touchdowns in his first three years). Remember, Ertz was cutting into Goedert’s snaps.
“There was one or two games in my career where he didn’t suit up and play but it’s just a little bit different [now],” Goedert said. “He’s not here, [I’m] stepping into more of a leadership role, in the tight end room, in the locker room as a whole. He was Zach – amazing player, amazing person. It was great to have him here, but without him it’s just a little bit different.”
No Issues with Conditioning, New Role
One small issue with Goedert was thought to be conditioning. He suffered a freak thumb injury in training camp in 2020, then ankle and calf injuries contributed to five missed games. An increased workload puts him at further risk, although it’s not something Goedert seems concerned about. Looking at him run through drills on the practice field, he appears to be in the best shape of his life.
“I think I’m ready. I’ve always been waiting for this [opportunity],” Goedert said. “Like I said, it’s an opportunity that I’m excited for. I wanted to be able to play every play. I wanted to be a three down tight end. And, yeah, conditioning wise, whatever it is, I can be out there the whole game.”
He’s also excited for his new role of mentor. He’s paying it forward to guys like Tyree Jackson, Jack Stoll, Noah Togiai so that the spirit of Zach Ertz lives on.
“I want the best for everybody in this building,” Goedert said. “And when my time comes, that somebody is better than me, I’m going to be excited about it for them and do everything I can to help them succeed.”
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