Eagles

Only Markquese Bell Knows if his Arm-Breaking Tackle on Dallas Goedert was Dirty

By Kevin Kinkead

Published: Nov 7th, 2023 · 2:49 PM EST

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There’s a lot of scuttlebutt on the Dallas Goedert play from Sunday night. Pagan is among the Eagles fans who think this was a “dirty” play:

Slow-motion video of Eagles TE Dallas Goedert’s broken forearm injury. Appears Cowboys safety Marquese Bell attempted to twist Goedert’s arm and he also fell directly on it upon completion of the tackle.

Goedert is expected to miss multiple games.

🎥: FOX29’s Starling Underwood pic.twitter.com/tqRfyy3FAP

— Josh Tolentino (@JCTSports) November 7, 2023

Eh. I dunno man. I hate the Cowboys as much as anyone, but Markquese Bell is getting stiff-armed there, so he grabs the arm and brings Goedert down. That’s what you’re coached to do in that situation. The alternative is what? Get planted into the ground? He’s gotta do something to make a play.

Here’s Torrey Smith’s take:

“Don’t run with the narrative that it’s a dirty play though. The defensive players have to do something to avoid getting stiff armed into the earth.”

It’s a high-speed, bang-bang type of play on the sideline. People are arguing that he clamps on the arm and twists, but only Bell knows if he was trying to injure Goedert there. And since we don’t have the technology to read people’s minds, I guess we’ll never know.