When the Philadelphia Eagles needed tight end Grant Calcaterra the most, he was there for them after starter Dallas Goedert went down for 7 games in the 2024 regular season.
Don’t expect the Eagles to return the favor when Calcaterra needs a hand up.
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton put Calcaterra on his list of the best NFL players who could have a difficult time making their team’s 53-man roster this offseason after the Eagles went all-in on rebooting the position by drafting Vanderbilt’s Eli Stowers in the 2nd round (No. 54 overall).
That’s even after Calcaterra signed a 1-year, $2 million contract extension on March 10.
“The Philadelphia Eagles signed Grant Calcaterra to a one-year extension,” Moton wrote. “Yet he doesn’t have a secure roster spot after the club selected Eli Stowers in the second round of the draft. Dallas Goedert tops the Eagles’ tight end depth chart. Assuming Stowers emerges as the primary backup, Calcaterra would be the third-stringer. In that position, at 27 years old, the latter is in jeopardy of losing his roster spot on a new deal.”
Calcaterra Took Backseat to Goedert’s Record Year
Calcaterra, 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds, was a 5th-round pick (No. 198 overall) by the Eagles out of SMU in the 2022 NFL draft.
In 2024, he proved to be a serviceable fill-in for starter Dallas Goedert, grabbing 24 receptions for 298 yards and 1 touchdown as Goedert missed a career-high 7 games due to injuries. Calcaterra found his role greatly reduced in 2025 following his breakout year, as a fully healthy Goedert snapped a 60-year-old franchise record for tight ends with 11 touchdown receptions.
For Calcaterra and for the Eagles, a much better option might be a trade, where Calcaterra could likely be swapped for a 6th or 7th round pick and land on a team where he’s a clear-cut 2nd tight end option.
Eagles Believe Eli Stowers is Future at Tight End
The Eagles believe they have found their tight end of the future in Stowers, the 2025 John Mackey Award winner. And that’s understandable.
The Eagles drafted 3-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion Zach Ertz in the 2nd round (No. 51 overall) of the 2013 NFL draft and reaped the benefits for almost a decade. The Eagles drafted another Super Bowl champion with Goedert in the 2nd round (No. 49 overall) of the 2018 NFL draft with essentially the same results.
Not everyone thinks Stowers is going to be the answer, however, and Bleacher Report’s Brent Solbeski handed the Eagles a “C” grade for the pick.
“The reigning John Mackey Award winner would have been rated higher throughout this process if he had contributed anything as an inline option,” Sobleski wrote. “To be clear, Stowers has experience working in-line, but he’s not much of a blocker and lacks the strength and technique to excel in that area at the next level … provides little to nothing as a blocker, functional strength is limiting, can improve route-running.”
Stowers wowed at the NFL scouting combine with his performance, running the 40-yard dash in 4.51 seconds to go with an 11-foot, 2-inch broad jump, along with a stunning 45.5-inch vertical leap.
Eagles Starter ‘In Danger of Losing Roster Spot’ After NFL Draft