Eagles QB Jalen Hurts speaks highly on backup TE Grant Calcaterra amid Dallas Goedert's injury

There will be a lot more opportunities for Calcaterra moving forward since Goedert will miss the next few games.

Calcaterra, a former 2022 sixth-round pick out of SMU, and quarterback Jalen Hurts briefly crossed paths at Oklahoma in 2019, which has helped their connection transfer to the NFL level. 

"It's always good to have a baseline with a teammate," Hurts said. "You know when you can lean on past history, time spent. You know, different plays that come up, and you have some you can reference. So he's definitely stepped in, and he's done that since he's been here."

Calcaterra played in 15 games for the Eagles in 2023, catching four of four targets for 39 yards. He's already well past those numbers through the Eagles' first five games of the 2024 season. 

So far, Calcaterra has reeled in eight catches on nine targets for 123 yards for the Birds. 

Hurts is the least bit surprised by Calcaterra's growth. 

"He continues to evolve," Hurts said. "You know, Grant was the top tight end coming out of California at one time, so he's always been, been a guy.