Getty Eagles rookie Grant Calcaterra was a college teammate of QB Jalen Hurts.
No one is going to come in and single-handedly replace Dallas Goedert’s production. He had just started to emerge as one of the top tight ends in football, a triple threat at the position with his blocking ability, route running, and smooth hands.
Goedert was staring down his first Pro Bowl before an unfortunate shoulder injury. Hopefully, he’ll be back but the Philadelphia Eagles are in the process of filling the void with a trio of unknowns: Grant Calcaterra, Tyree Jackson, and Jack Stoll. Calcaterra — a sixth-round pick who has played 71 offensive snaps — is the rawest of the bunch.
The upside is there, especially considering his familiarity with starting quarterback Jalen Hurts. You see, the two players were college teammates at the University of Oklahoma. Hurts believe in the rookie tight end being up to the challenge.
“Grant, he’s always been a silky smooth guy,” Hurts told reporters. “Caught the ball really well, always has, always finds ways to get open. So he’s a guy that definitely will step up for us. I have trust in him being ready for his opportunity.”
Grant Calcaterra will have to step up and be the guy at TE in Goedert’s absence.
He’s got good speed for a TE and played with Jalen Hurts in college.
Eagles Looked Themselves in the Mirror
Hurts and the Eagles went right back to work after enduring a painful 32-21 loss to Washington, one that ended their bid for a perfect season. All good. They flushed it down the toilet and moved on. Hurts spoke of overcoming adversity during his media availability on Wednesday.
“I really admire this team. I admire the individuals on this team because every individual on this team looked themselves in the mirror and they held complete accountability on themselves for how they could have done something better,” Hurts said. “And not only after a loss but that is after the joyous moments, that is after every game, so that is something I admire about this team. I admire that about the individuals on this team, and the mentality that we have as a collective group.”
The Eagles are dealing with an unexpected rash of freak injuries, too. Dallas Goedert, Avonte Maddox, Jordan Davis have all been placed on injured reserve, with A.J. Brown (ankle) and DeVonta Smith (knee) getting dinged in Week 10. Time for the backups to perform.
Hurts said: “And I think when their opportunity comes I will always trust that they will take advantage of the opportunities, just like they’ll trust me to make it happen. It’s a team thing.”
‘Reliable’ Jack Stoll Earning Tons of Trust
Grant Calcaterra might have a college connection with Hurts but Jack Stoll has legit NFL experience. He has played 40% of the snaps so far this season while making 4 catches for 49 yards. He’s been used primarily as a blocker, although he has 3 first downs. Stoll made a big play on an 11-yard completion last week on a crossing route. That play left a pretty big impression on his head coach.
“We threw the ball to Jack Stoll on a crossing route there in the game and I just said over the headset, ‘Man, Jalen [Hurts] really trusts Jack.’ You can just tell that the trust of Jack has continued to increase,” Sirianni said. “Because Jack is reliable and goes in and makes plays when his number is called.”
Jack Stoll: “I view myself as a complete TE. Obviously, the role has been more to block, as everyone sees. But moving forward here, if it means picking up some opportunities, I’m going to do the most of what the coaches ask me to do.”