Welcome Back, Goedert

PHILADELPHIA – There was a period this offseason when Dallas Goedert was faced with an uncertain future.

The eighth-year pro on Wednesday spoke wide-eyed and candidly about navigating uncharted waters, revealing that he’d conversed with his agent and Eagles’ executive vice president and general manager Howie Roseman as his options were explored. For perspective, Goedert intimated that he wasn’t participating in the earlier phases of the Eagles’ offseason program while the business side ran its course.

The reality was that, at one point, Goedert’s departure appeared imminent. As the Eagles forged ahead with their offseason of maintenance, securing their young nucleus while simultaneously overseeing a slew of departures via free agency, re-working a deal for a 30-year-old tight end felt increasingly improbable.

But what not long ago seemed like an inevitable parting of the ways came to a resolution, with both sides agreeing to terms on a reworked deal that guaranteed Goedert $10 million in base salary along with a possible $1 million in incentives.

Goedert, who signed a four-year, $57 million extension back in 2021, was slated to make $14 million in cash in 2025. According to Goedert the negotiation initiated with both sides coming together.

“I would say it starts with Howie and my agent,” Goedert said. “I let them talk about it, different things that went on, possibilities of trades, possibilities of cuts, things like that. I told my agent what I thought what would be best for me, certain numbers I wanted to have, things like that. I hired my agent for a reason. I trusted his opinion on stuff. I told him what I thought I wanted, and he worked that out and got it done.”

ITB PHOTO/ANDREW DICECCO: Eagles TE Dallas Goedert is back for another year after reworking his deal to take less money.

Goedert entrusted his agent to handle the matter, though he remained in contact throughout the process. As such, Goedert experienced the ebbs and flows of negotiations, where one day a deal felt imminent, the next it felt worlds apart.

The emotional roller-coaster included days sitting on his couch, where he “stared at the TV blankly.”

Goedert, who said he never requested a trade or release, gave a nod to Roseman for being communicative and respectful throughout the process. And for his part, Goedert spoke about the importance of not letting the business side harbor any resentment, citing his respect for the organization. He merely desired to be fairly compensated for his body of work.

Back in the fold and secured through at least the 2025 season, Goedert figures to have a prominent role in an Eagles offense now presided over by first-year coordinator Kevin Patullo.

The 6-foot-5, 256-pound tight end, seemingly underutilized during his career, will be critical to what should be a more dynamic aerial attack. A trusty security blanket for quarterback Jalen Hurts, who continues to expand his game and spoke last week about the evolution of the offense, Goedert could be in for a career year at the most optimal time.

And he struggled to contain his excitement for what’s ahead.

“I’m really excited about this year,” he said. “Obviously, I’d love to play my entire career in Philadelphia but I’m not too worried about that. I’m excited to see what happens this year, I’m excited to put up a really good year, have a successful year with an incredible team and let my agent handle his job and talks after the season. But I’m excited to be back, and play this year, and be the best teammate I can be. And let the rest work itself out.”

– Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is a Staff Reporter/Content Producer for InsideTheBirds.com.