Eagles rookie Dallas Goedert scores first NFL touchdown in Week 3 against the Colts

The Eagles traded up in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft to snag tight end Dallas Goedert out South Dakota State, and he was expected to a big role in Philly’s TE-friendly offense.

In the week before the start of the season, offensive Coordinate Mike Groh said that they would need the rookie to be a big contributor this season — that didn’t happen.

Groh said after Week 2 that they needed to work to get Goedert more involved — and on Sunday, they did.

In the Eagles’ first offensive drive of the game, and in the first series led by Carson Wentz in 2018, the rookie finally snagged his first career touchdown — and the first of Wentz’s return.

Goedert finished the day with seven receptions for 73 yards, and should get more opportunities with Wentz back in the game. The quarterback seemed to have confidence in the rookie tight end, and got the TE position more involved than week’s past — even if they didn’t really have a choice due to all the skill player injuries.

Before Sunday’s game against the Colts, Goedert only had one reception for four yards — he almost scored during the season opener on a deep ball into the corner of the end zone, but was just out of bounds.

Here’s to the first score of what should be a very lucrative first year for Goedert — and the Eagles.

“He’s earned it, obviously,” said Doug Pederson regarding Goedert’s increased playing time. “He’s smart. He’s talented. We see it in practice. It’s just time to play and cut him loose a little bit and don’t keep him back. It was part of the game plan again to do that with two tight ends, three tight ends, but at the same time, as he gets more and more comfortable with the offense and find specific plays for him, he’s just going to get better and better. It’s a combination, really, of all those comments.”