March 05, 2026
Eric Hartline/Imagn Images
Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth could be available for trade this offseason.
The Philadelphia Eagles' top three tight ends — Dallas Goedert, Grant Calcaterra, and Kylen Granson — are all free agents, and all three might not be on the 2026 roster. So, you know, the Eagles need tight ends. Meanwhile, the other free agent options in free agency kind of stink, and the one young, appealing player, Kyle Pitts, was franchise tagged.
As such, an Eagles trade for a tight end feels logical. On Friday last week, we suggested the Eagles trade for Raiders TE Michael Mayer. Here are three more tight end targets who make sense.
The Steelers had three tight ends last season who played at least 500 snaps apiece:
Freiermuth led Steelers tight ends in receptions (41), yards (486), and TDs (4), but his numbers were also down significantly from his previous season, when he had 65 catches for 653 yards and 7 TDs.
Smith is scheduled to make $7 million in 2026, so it was an easy decision for the Steelers to cut him, but it will also leave them with just Freiermuth and Washington at tight end.
Washington is the Steelers' best tight end, in my opinion, and a little bit of a freak. He's almost comically listed at 6'7, 264 (he's clearly bigger than that), and he blocks like an offensive tackle. He also grew as a pass catcher in 2025, and had some highlight reel runs after the catch. I mean, the run after catch at the 34 second mark below... lol.
He certainly has the highest ceiling of Pittsburgh's tight ends.
Washington is scheduled to play on the final year of his rookie contract in 2026, and is eligible for a contract extension. The Steelers are already paying Freiermuth, who is scheduled to make $9.1 million in 2026, $10 million in 2027, and $8.4 million in 2028. If the Steelers get a new deal done with Washington, then it might make sense for them to trade what would become a very expensive TE2 in Freiermuth.
Projected cost: If the Eagles were to take on Freiermuth at his current contract, I'd say he's worth something like a sixth-round pick. If the Steelers were to eat a chunk of the money that he's owed, maybe the pick bumps up a bit.
Musgrave was a second-round pick (42nd overall) in 2023. He had a nice start to his rookie season, making 33 catches for 341 yards and a TD in the Packers' first 10 games, before he suffered a lacerated kidney that derailed his season.
Musgrave's injury paved the way for 2023 third-round pick Tucker Kraft to play more, and Kraft quickly developed into one of the best tight ends in the NFL.
In 2024, Musgrave suffered a ligament tear in his ankle, which required surgery and caused him to miss 10 games. He had just 7 catches for 45 yards on the season.
In 2025, he was firmly behind Kraft in the pecking order, and TE3 John Fitzpatrick would sometimes get on the field ahead of Musgrave for his blocking ability. Musgrave did get on the field more after Kraft was lost for the season with a torn ACL, making 24 catches for 252 yards.
Musgrave is not a rugged blocker and he is a catch-and-fall receiver reminiscent of the early Zach Ertz years in Philly. That's the downside. The upside is that he's 6'6 with good athleticism, and he is still only 25 years old.
Musgrave has had little pockets of success. You can see his athleticism on the field (video via @JacobMorley):
And he showed something as a blocker as a rookie (video via @BookOfEli_NFL):
There's something to work with there.
Projected cost: Sixth-round pick.
Kmet was a Bears second-round pick (43rd overall) in 2020. He is a solid starter who averaged a stat line of 58-587-4 from 2021 to 2024. However, the Bears selected TE Colston Loveland with the 10th overall pick in the 2025 draft, and Kmet's role was minimized last season. He finished with 30 catches for 347 yard sand 2 TDs.
Heading into 2026, Kmet will be the TE2, and he is scheduled to make $10 million. There is no way any NFL team wants to be paying their TE2 $10 million, which makes Kmet an obvious trade/cut candidate.
Projected cost: This would be similar to Freiermuth above, as both players are owed decent salaries in 2026 that their teams won't want to pay. If you're the Eagles, maybe you give up a fifth-round pick if the Bears are willing to eat a big chunk of his salary. Or maybe you just wait until they cut him.
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