Getty Zach Ertz, 31, will make $17.5 million guaranteed.
The Buffalo Bills could make a major late-season addition to their offense, one insider speculates.
Veteran tight end Zach Ertz has hit the open market after he asked for and was granted a release from the Arizona Cardinals, then cleared waivers.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter noted that Ertz has a desire to land with a contending team. While he noted that a reunion with the Philadelphia Eagles is a strong possibility, Schefter also specifically pointed to the Bills as a team to watch.
“Former Cardinals’ TE Zach Ertz cleared waivers today and is now free to sign with any team, per source,” Schefter wrote on X. “The Eagles, a franchise for which Ertz needs 11 catches to pass Harold Carmichael and become their all-time leading receiver, are expected to have interest in re-signing him.
“Zach Ertz wants to land with contender. Candidates could include Kansas City, Baltimore and Buffalo.”
Zach Ertz Offers ‘Experience and Production’
As NFL.com noted, Ertz had seen his role with the Cardinals’ offense fade as he lost targets to rookie tight end Trey McBride. With Ertz now gone from Arizona, he has the chance to land with a contending team and potentially a bigger role.
“With the youngster catching fire in recent weeks, it became clear Ertz likely would not figure into the franchise’s plans beyond 2023,” the report noted. “And with the Cardinals sitting near the bottom of the league standings at 2-10, Ertz chose to seek work with a contender in the remaining six weeks of the regular season.”
The report added that Ertz would “offer experience and production to a prospective suitor in need of a threat at tight end.”
There are other signs that the Bills could be among the interested teams. Bleacher Report insider Jordan Schultz reported that the Bills were among four teams “in the mix” for Ertz, along with the Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens.
The #Bills are one of four teams the “most interested” in signing TE Zach Ertz, per @Schultz_Report.
Bills Could Get Tight End Back Soon
The Bills could soon get one of their top tight ends back after a long-term injury. Dawson Knox, who was placed on injured reserve after undergoing surgery for a broken wrist, could return to the lineup after the team’s bye week.
“Bills HC Sean McDermott said they are ‘hopeful but not certain’ that TE Dawson Knox will be able to return after their bye week and ahead of the Week 14 Chiefs game,” wrote The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Knox had struggled with production before his injury, making just 15 catches for 105 yards and one touchdown in seven games. As Buscaglia noted, Knox failed to replicate his role as a favorite target for quarterback Josh Allen.
“The tight end became one of the central figures of the Bills offense over the last several years, even signing a long-term extension,” Buscaglia wrote for The Athletic. “However, he has had an extremely slow start to the 2023 season, averaging a career-worst 6.8 yards per catch. Knox has also struggled with drops this season, and perhaps the wrist injury explains some of those missed opportunities.”