Source: Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert will miss time with a knee injury

The Eagles will be without Dallas Goedert for the time being.

A league source confirmed an NFL Network/ESPN report that Goedert suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his knee during the team’s 24-20 win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. Goedert is expected to miss a few weeks with the injury.

The Eagles’ top tight end appeared to suffer his injury while run blocking in the second quarter. He did not return to the game.

Goedert’s absence left the Eagles in an interesting situation at the position, and general manager Howie Roseman responded quickly by signing longtime Eagle Zach Ertz.

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The healthy tight ends behind Goedert on the depth chart prior to signing Ertz were blocking specialists in Johnny Mundt and EJ Jenkins. Goedert starred in Week 1 with four catches for 77 yards and two scores. Mundt, meanwhile, has been targeted three times on 69 snaps through two games. The Eagles have been in 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends) on 22.4% of their offensive plays this season, according to Sumer Sports. Without Goedert on the field, the Eagles don’t have a real pass-catching threat in those sets.

They aimed to fill their pass-catching depth issue behind Goedert when they drafted Eli Stowers in the second round, but the rookie had a slow start to training camp and is on injured reserve while he recovers from a hamstring injury. Grant Calcaterra (back) also is on injured reserve. The Eagles have one tight end on the practice squad, veteran Josiah Deguara, who has 14 catches over the last three seasons.

Ertz, 35, needs just 11 more receptions to break Harold Carmichael’s franchise record of 589 to become the Eagles’ all-time receptions leader. He is only nine months removed from a major knee injury, but he gives the Eagles a veteran pass-catching option.

“I know [Roseman] will do everything he can do if we are without Dallas,” Nick Sirianni said when asked about the position group on Monday. “We’ll see where we are.”

A few hours later, it all became clearer.

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Goedert wasn’t the only key offensive player getting further testing after Sunday.

Saquon Barkley left Sunday’s game after suffering a stinger and was set to get an MRI on Monday. He was injured on the Eagles’ first offensive play. He returned in the second half but only briefly before being forced to miss the rest of the game.

If Barkley misses game action, it would be a big blow to a running game that hasn’t really gotten off the ground through two games.

The Eagles have capable backups behind Barkley in Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley, and an experienced running back on the practice squad in Dameon Pierce — as well as preseason darling Carson Steele.

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With or without Barkley, the Eagles need to start running the ball with more efficiency and consistency.

It is the key to their offense, considering the new scheme under coordinator Sean Mannion relies on marrying the run and pass games and utilizing under-center play action. Those things aren’t possible when you’re not moving the ball on the ground. Four Eagles — including Barkley, not including Jalen Hurts, and not counting a behind-the-line swing pass to Makai Lemon — combined for 78 yards on 27 carries Sunday. They had better per-carry success in Week 1, but take Barkley’s 42-yard burst out of the equation and the stat line from the running backs was 48 yards on 17 carries.

The new-look offense has the Eagles running more wide zone blocking schemes, and so far the execution up front hasn’t been consistent enough.

Sirianni called it a “full-team effort” that includes coaching better.

“We have to be better as a whole there, and we’re going to continue to work like crazy to get to that portion,” Sirianni said. “We’ve found ways to win the first two games, but we know we’re capable of being better in the run game. And I think there’s elements of it being close, too.

“They’re going to junk it up enough that when you get the looks that are really good looks, you got to make them pay when they’re in that, and we’re close. We are close.”