Dallas Goedert had never scored a ton of touchdowns in his NFL career. Until now. This season, the Eagles 30‑year‑old tight end has been a big‑time threat in the low red zone and after scoring two more touchdowns against the Raiders on Sunday afternoon has a career‑high nine in 2025. Goedert’s previous career‑high was just five.
Career‑Long Touchdown Trend
In his first seven seasons in the NFL, Goedert had just 24 total touchdown catches, averaging 3.4 per season. Eight different tight ends league‑wide had more touchdowns during that span, led by Travis Kelce with 55. The Eagles’ record for a tight end in a single season is held by Pete Retzlaff, who caught 10 touchdown passes in 1965.
Red‑Zone Strategy Shift
“We’ve had different things for me in the red zone throughout my career here,” Goedert said on Tuesday. “A lot of them just haven’t gotten called. Once they started calling them, I try to make sure they work so they can keep designing and calling other ones. Anytime you go in the huddle and hear that play, knowing you have the opportunity to get in the end zone, it gets you kind of excited for sure.”
“As a tight end, you like to score,” Goedert said. “As I said before, we’ve had different philosophies throughout my time here, whether we run the ball down there, we were so efficient at running whip for a while, inside zone, running backs had a lot of touchdowns. And then we got to the 1 (yard line) a lot and Jalen (Hurts) had a lot of success with the quarterback sneak. Now it seems like we’re getting to the 2, 3-yard line, kind of where my packages are.”
The Eagles have shifted to more misdirection and shovel plays behind the line of scrimmage, giving Goedert opportunities to use his yards‑after‑catch ability. Having two running threats in the backfield—Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley—helps set up these plays.
Record‑Near Performance vs Raiders
Goedert had two touchdown catches against the Raiders and had an opportunity for a third but dropped a gimme pass in the end zone. “That one hurts,” Goedert said. If he had caught it, he would have tied Pete Retzlaff’s 1965 record of ten touchdowns for a tight end in a single season. The list of career highs for tight ends includes Zach Ertz with eight in 2017 and 2018, Brent Celek with eight in 2009, and Retzlaff again with eight in 1961 and 1964.
“It’s pretty cool,” Goedert said. “Anytime you can break a record, obviously things are going well for you. Obviously, winning is the most important thing and I want to do whatever I can to help win. If they’re giving me the ball down there, I’m going to try to score. It would be a cool thing to have.”
Contract and Future
This season, Goedert has 54 catches for 551 yards and 9 touchdowns and has played 13 of 14 games. He stayed with the Eagles this offseason after it looked like the two sides were headed for a split. Ultimately, he agreed to a one‑year restructured contract and will become a free agent after 2025.
“I mean, the way he runs with the ball in his hands,” Hurts said.
“I think when I get a ball in my hand down there, I’m tough to tackle,” Goedert said. “I can find my way in, fight my way in. Our red zone philosophy has changed a little bit. We used to run the ball a lot, a lot of quarterback sneaks, things like that down there. We’ve tried to find ways to get me the ball, which is really cool. I’m going to keep trying to make them work.”
Key Takeaways
- Dallas Goedert’s nine touchdowns in 2025 are a career high, approaching the Eagles’ tight‑end single‑season record.
- The Eagles’ red‑zone playbook has evolved to favor misdirection and shovel plays, giving Goedert more scoring chances.
- Goedert has signed a one‑year restructured contract, making him a free agent after the 2025 season.
The season underscores how a strategic shift in the red zone can elevate a player’s production, and it sets the stage for what could be a pivotal year for both Goedert and the Eagles as they look to improve their offensive output.
