Just days before the Eagles play host to the Buccaneers for Thursday Night Football, Philadelphia has placed tight end Dallas Goedert on the reserve/COVID-19 list, the team announced Tuesday. Because Goedert is vaccinated, he would need two negative tests before Thursday night to be eligible to play against Tampa Bay. Given the short window between now and kickoff, it would seem like an uphill battle for the tight end to suit up.
Naturally, this would be a big loss for the Eagles offense if Goedert is ultimately ruled out for this matchup as he’s taken part in 68.3% of the offensive snaps this year, which ranks fifth-highest on the team. Through the first five weeks of the season, he is third on the team in receiving yards and tied for first in receiving touchdowns.
If Goedert is unable to play, that would thrust Zach Ertz into a larger role in the offense. The longtime Eagles tight end has played in all five of Philly’s game this season (two starts) and has caught 14 of his 25 targets for 160 yards and a touchdown.
As the Eagles are at risk of losing Goedert for Week 6, Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians said Monday that there is a chance that Rob Gronkowski (ribs) could make his return to game action, so there is plenty to tight end statuses to monitor as we step closer to Thursday.
