Eagles Release Veteran TE

Philadelphia released veteran TE Albert Okwuegbunam moments after the NFL's trade deadline passed.

Philadelphia Eagles tight end Albert Okwuegbunam Jr. (85) catches the ball during a training camp practice. / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

PHILADELPHIA - Moments after the NFL's trade deadline passed Monday afternoon, the Eagles released veteran tight end Albert Okwuegbunam.

Okwuegbunam had missed the Eagles' 6-2 start with a core muscle injury suffered in training camp. His 21-day practice window was opened on Oct. 16 and Philadelphia had until Tuesday to put him on the 53-man roster or Okwuegbunam would revert back to injured reserve and be out for the season.

Starting tight end Dallas Goedert has missed the previous three games with a hamstring injury and is pushing to get back for Sunday's game at the Dallas Cowboys.

"Dallas in Dallas," Goedert told Philadelphia Eagles On SI outside the team's locker room on Sunday.

In Goedert's absence, Grant Calcaterra and Jack Stoll have done solid work at the position while E.J. Jenkins was elevated for the Week 9 win over Jacksonville. Philadelphia also has veteran C.J. Uzomah on the practice squad.

With Goedert set to return sooner rather than later there was just no room for Okwuegbunam, who was originally acquired from Denver, along with a 2025 seventh-round draft pick, for a 2025 sixth-round pick at the initial cut down to 53 in 2023.

Okwuegbunam played just four games last season and participated in 57 offensive snaps (5% of the team's total). He never caught a pass for the Eagles.

Originally, a fourth-round pick of the Broncos in 2020 out of Missouri, Okwuegbunam amassed 54 receptions for 546 yards and four touchdowns during three seasons in Denver.

Enamored with his 4.49 speed at 6-foot-5 and 258 pounds, Eagles GM Howie Roseman took things as far as he could with Okwuegbunam and was obviously trying to get something in return for Springfield, Illinois native.

With all doors closed as the 4 PM ET trade deadline passed, Roseman released Okwuegbunam, who must pass through waivers before he can become a free agent even though the TE is vested.

Had the Eagles released Okwuegbunam before the trade deadline he would have immediately become a free agent and wouldn't have had to pass through waivers.

Philadelphia made no moves at the trade deadline while fellow NFC contenders Detroit and Washington made splashes.

The conference-leading Lions acquired edge rusher Za'Darius Smith from Cleveland and the Commanders, who lead the Eagles by one-half game in the NFC East, netted star cornerback Marshon Lattimore from the New Orleans Saints.

The Eagles and Commanders meet for the first time this season on Nov. 14 at Lincoln Financial Field.

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