PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Eagles have until Friday to try to work out a contract extension with Dallas Goedert, delaying a void date in the veteran tight end’s deal that was supposed to make him a free agent for the start of the league year.
Goedert, 31, was ranked the No. 29 free agent on The Athletic’s Top 150, but he was not listed as an unrestricted free agent by the NFL on Wednesday afternoon. His contract was scheduled to void ahead of the league year, and the Eagles would have incurred a salary cap hit of more than $20 million. The two sides agreed to push the deadline back to Friday, a league source told The Athletic. The procedural move allows the Eagles and Goedert to try to work out a deal to keep Goedert in Philadelphia and even preserve salary cap space. (If Goedert signed an extension, the Eagles would not take on the dead cap hit this year.) The fact that the two sides worked out the arrangement and delayed Goedert’s free agency could be interpreted as a positive sign for his potential return.
Goedert has spent his entire eight-year career in Philadelphia. He was a second-round pick in 2018 and has been a full-time starter since 2021. The Eagles considered trading Goedert last offseason before the two sides reached an agreement to return on a reduced salary in 2025 and hit free agency in 2026 for the first time. It seemed it would be Goedert’s final season in Philadelphia, and he was emotional after the Eagles’ postseason loss. But the Eagles remained interested in bringing Goedert back, and given the state of the market at this point, it could be a sensible outcome for both sides. The next six tight ends in The Athletic’s Top 150 have all signed contracts, and Goedert is one of three of the 13 at the position on the list that remain unsigned. That would indicate there aren’t that many attractive options for the Eagles other than David Njoku or acquiring a player via trade. The Eagles are likely to draft a tight end for the first time since 2022, but it’s hard to count on that player becoming a starter. The Eagles signed Johnny Mundt and Grant Calcaterra this week, although neither profiles as a starter.
Goedert had one of the best receiving seasons of his career in 2025, finishing with a career-high 60 catches for 591 yards and tying for the league lead among tight ends with 11 touchdowns. He also remained healthier than he had been since 2021. Goedert’s blocking appeared to regress. The addition of Mundt was made with run blocking as a priority.
If the Eagles keep Goedert, it will maintain continuity in a passing offense that could lose A.J. Brown in a potential trade. It could also offer the Eagles the financial flexibility to pursue another high-priced player this offseason, such as Minnesota Vikings edge rusher Jonathan Greenard.
Jordan Davis inks new contract
Four days after Jordan Davis agreed to a three-year, $78 million contract extension that will make him the highest-paid nose tackle in the NFL, he officially put pen to paper and did not run away from the expectations that come with the deal and the company with which he now keeps.
“A big passion of mine is just being a premier nose guard, and I know that’s a position that’s overlooked a lot of times from the casual fan,” Davis said at a news conference at the team facility Wednesday. “Not a lot of people know the importance of a true nose tackle, especially when you have the ability in our system to flip from 3-4 to 4-3. A nose guard is a position that doesn’t really get that accolades or get a lot of premium for it. It’s kind of like a — it’s a muddy position sometimes. You’re gonna get two hands on you in a run, sometimes in the pass. To be able to go out here and to prove to kids and to show people that nose guards aren’t meant to be overlooked, like we have a true place in defenses. I think that’s one thing that makes me really proud to be a nose guard. … Technically, I’m a DT/nose guard, but I’ve been doing this since college. I’ve been doing it since high school, if we’re being real. So to be able to lead the way and pave the way for a different kind of attention on this position, I think that’s the biggest pride that I have playing this position.”
When Davis was introduced as a first-round pick in 2022, his mother watched him in the same auditorium discuss the mantra, “two on me, somebody’s free.” Davis brought it up again on Wednesday — “That’s the mantra of a nose guard,” he said — and said he will take it to heart and will not stop uttering the phrase because it’s central to how he plays and views football.
That approach is appreciated by two people sitting in the back of the auditorium: Star defensive tackle Jalen Carter and defensive line coach Clint Hurtt. Davis appreciated their attendance. He joked that Hurtt is on the clock at the team facility, so he technically needed to come. Seeing Carter, a college teammate at Georgia and close friend, was meaningful. (And Carter could soon have a news conference for his own contract extension if the two sides can reach a deal this offseason.)
“JC, man, brightened my day. I wasn’t expecting it,” Davis said. “It just shows the importance of just the connection, of the love that we have for each other. JC was there when I was in college. I was there when JC first got on campus, and to be able to continue this and just grow as players together, that’s something special. That’s something to be talked about.”
The Eagles made a big bet on Davis, who followed an inconsistent start to his career with a breakout 2025 season. However, he still was used only in moderation as a pass rusher — Davis played 332 snaps against the pass last season and only 87 snaps on third down, trailing Moro Ojomo and Carter among Eagles defensive tackles — and he’ll likely need to have a more significant role pressuring the quarterback for the Eagles to get the return on their investment.
“Just elevate my game to a different level, a new level,” Davis said of the next step in his game. “We had a good year last year, but let’s make a great year next year, and let’s continue to improve and continue to get better and be a complete player. Just continue to grow in the system. It’s something that I’m comfortable with. Have two years under my belt now with the staff and the system, and with that, the game slows down a lot. Players are able to play free in this system.”
Extra points
• The Eagles engaged in contract talks with top free agent Trey Hendrickson before he signed with Baltimore, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. They’re also in contact with Greenard’s representatives. Greenard, who is still on the Vikings, would need to be traded and signed to a new contract.
• Fullback/tight end Ben VanSumeren did not receive a qualifying offer from the Eagles. He is now an unrestricted free agent. VanSumeren suffered a torn patellar tendon on the opening kickoff last season.
• The Eagles formally announced new contracts for cornerback Riq Woolen, along with Mundt and Calcaterra. Those have been the team’s only moves this week. They’ve already lost nine players to other teams, including edge rushers Josh Uche (Miami Dolphins) and Azeez Ojulari (Atlanta Falcons) on Wednesday.