Coming off an unexpected Super Bowl run, the New England Patriots are looking to make moves that will help them reclaim the Lombardi Trophy in 2026. One of the biggest objectives has been finding more weapons for Drake Maye and helping the second-year MVP candidate take an even bigger jump going into his third season.
The Patriots did well by signing Romeo Doubs in free agency. The possibility of acquiring A.J. Brown in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles remains, and could give New England’s offense a different look next season. But the tight end position is another area that needs attention after the duo of Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper disappeared as the Patriots went deeper into the playoffs.
On Sunday, another chance to upgrade that group went undetected as Dallas Goedert agreed to a one-year contract to return to the Eagles, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. While Henry is still in New England, Goedert could have been an upgrade in multiple ways, leaving the Patriots to go back to the drawing board as they construct their tight end room for the upcoming season.
Patriots Let Dallas Goedert Slip Away as TE Problem Remains
The Patriots' tight end position isn’t a desperate situation, but it’s not ideal. Hooper left New England for the Atlanta Falcons in free agency, and Henry set off alarms with his postseason performance. While Henry finished the year with 60 catches for 768 yards and seven touchdowns, he tailed off with just nine catches for 112 yards and a touchdown in the four-game run to the Super Bowl. The Patriots could have benefitted from a double-barreled approach with two pass-catching tight ends, which would have helped Goedert make sense.
Like Henry, Goedert is on the wrong side of 30 after celebrating his 31st birthday in January. But he is a multifaceted player, catching 60 passes for 591 yards and a career-high 11 touchdowns for the Eagles last offseason, and being a strong run-blocker for most of his time with the Eagles. While the run-blocking dropped to a career-low 50.6 grade last year, Goedert has posted a 73.4 run-blocking grade as recently as 2023 and could have been a one-year stopgap before New England decided on a tight end of the future.
Instead, the future could be now. Henry is likely to return next season, but the Patriots may want to upgrade the TE2 spot even after signing former Dolphins tight end Julian Hill in free agency. Drafting a tight end may also be a possibility, knowing that Henry could provide a starter’s baseline for 2026 and have a successor when his contract expires next spring.
It takes the sting out of watching Goedert come off the board and could help the Patriots look to alternative options as they head deeper into free agency and toward next month’s draft.