As the Philadelphia Eagles prepare to ship off to New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX, tight end Dallas Goedert took a Saturday afternoon to meet and greet some of the Philly Phaithful across the bridge.
It was there, at the Dick’s Sporting Goods located inside the Deptford Mall, that Goedert spoke with Philly Sports Network, discussing the biggest game of the year and his future with the only NFL team he’s ever known.
“I’m feeling really good,” Goedert began. “The energy in this place is awesome; everybody coming out here. It’s been a lot of fun so far. Looking forward to the rest of it.”
Goedert, the 49th pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, came to Philadelphia less than three months after the Eagles had won their first-ever Lombardi trophy in Super Bowl LII. Beloved tight end Brent Celek was expected to announce his retirement, and Philadelphia was in need of a new partner for Zach Ertz in their 12 personnel looks — that is a formation with one running back, two tight ends, and two receivers on the field.
“Coming to Philadelphia seven years ago, or whatever it was now, the city embraced me so [quickly]. They’re so passionate, especially when the Eagles win. And it’s always cool to give back to the community. [To] come and see the people that support you every Sunday. I think it’s important, and it’s been a lot of fun.”
In 2023, Goedert had a chance to win his own Super Bowl when the Eagles faced, you guessed it, the Kansas City Chiefs. Their opponent then and now is not losses on the team, according to Goedert.
“They’re the next opponent in our way of our ultimate end goal, but at the same time, they were the ones that knocked us off a couple years ago. Everybody remembers that. Everybody still feels the pain of that one. So we’re excited to go and get our get back.”
The sting of defeat lingers, even years later, but for Goedert and the Eagles, there are certainly reasons to believe the team is in a strong position heading into this matchup.
“I feel really good. I feel really confident,” Goedert said. “I think we can win in so many different ways. Our defense is playing lights out. We’ve been creating turnovers. We’ve been really good holding on to the ball. So going to this game really confident, you know, as both teams should be, but I have a really good feeling about it, so it should be good.”
Philadelphia will have to make a decision this summer. Goedert’s current contract includes a potential out this offseason, which could open up nearly $7 million in cap savings should Goedert be released with a post-June 1 designation—meaning the decision could be made ahead of June 1 and officially processed after June 1.
While Goedert has proven invaluable to the Eagles at times, the only certainty about one’s future in the NFL is that it is uncertain. But that is a trouble for another day. For now, the biggest game of Goedert’s life is just one week away. Winning the Super Bowl is certainly his primary focus, as it has been for years.
“Winning the Super Bowl has been a dream of mine since I was a little kid, and dream of everybody in this whole city to win and one for the Eagles. But yeah, that’d mean everything to me. Once you get the first one, you’ll be looking forward to the second one, but I’m really looking forward to the first one right now.”
While the possibility of an offseason split from the Eagles remains, so does the idea of finishing his career in Philadelphia, which is a welcome thought to Goedert.
“I think it’d be really cool. Hopefully, [I] get to finish my career in Philadelphia. It’s been so good to me so far, and I think we’ve got a lot of good football left.”
