With a losing season almost a guarantee at this point, it's time to start thinking about the future in Philadelphia.

The Eagles used a second-round pick in the 2026 NFL trade to select tight end Eli Stowers from Vanderbilt. It was a relatively high pick for a tight end, but the Eagles clearly viewed Stowers as the potential future of the position in Philadelphia.

Unfortunately, Stowers experienced a slow start to his Eagles tenure. He struggled throughout training camp and was then sidelined for an extended period at the start of the season due to a combination of hamstring and quad injuries.

Stowers finally made his Eagles debut in Week 7 against the Cowboys on Monday Night Football. He didn't have any catches in the game, but at least he made it onto the field, which was a dream come true for the Texas native. “It’s a dream come true just to be out there, working, getting better," Stowers said after the game. "Just to be out on the field was a blessing.”

Stowers followed his debut with a three-reception, 53-yard performance against the Washington Commanders in Week 8, then went without a reception again in Week 9 against the Giants.

Playing Eli Stowers should be a priority for Eagles for the remainder of the season

The Eagles now have eight games remaining in the current campaign, and with their playoff hopes already dashed, getting increased on-field opportunity for some unproven young players should be a top priority for Philly, and Stowers should be at the top of that list.

The Eagles simply need to see whether he is the future of the TE position, and the only way to do that is by throwing him into the deep end.

Despite speculation that they would, the Eagles didn't trade veteran tight end Dallas Goedert before Tuesday's trade deadline, and there's even a chance that he could be back in Philly next season. He's also 31 years old, so the organization needs to identify a succession plan at the position. The Eagles obviously know what they have in Goedert, and with little to play for in terms of a postseason perspective, the team should let Stowers eat into a large chunk of Goedert's playing time moving forward.

The Eagles will have to make decisions regarding the TE position this offseason. Should they bring back Goedert? Should they look to add another TE in free agency? Should they draft a TE again? The front office won't be able to answer these questions properly unless they see a larger sample size from Sowers—both in the blocking and pass-catching departments.

Whenever Stowers does see the field for Philly, his aim is to be as impactful as possible.

“Every single play there’s something that you can do to help the offense be successful,” Stowers said earlier this month (h/t NBC Sports Philadelphia). “Everybody’s got a job on every single play and so it’s every single rep. How can you be intentional about what your job is? Whether it’s getting open, catching the ball, blocking for somebody, running off for somebody. How can you do that to the best of your abilities? That’s what I try to do.”

Stowers seeing the field more over the final two months of the season will be beneficial for a couple of reasons. First, it will let him gain some much-needed experience in some relatively low-stakes games. It will also provide the organization with an excellent opportunity to evaluate him—and the tight end position as a whole—heading into the offseason.