Getty Zach Ertz and Julie Ertz
After suffering a lacerated kidney, Philadelphia Eagles’ Zach Ertz is taking the field during Sunday’s NFC Wild Card showdown against the Seattle Seahawks. The Eagles tight end may only be used as a decoy, but he’s starting the game and wife Julie Ertz will be cheering him on Lincoln Financial Field on January 5.
Ertz, 29, didn’t play in the Eagles’ final regular-season game against the New York Giants and his status seemed to be in jeopardy for the playoffs. While Philadelphia is easily the underdog against Seattle, having Ertz suiting up definitely gives the franchise a huge boost. And the person giving Ertz a boost? Julie, 27, who’s USWNT soccer champion wife.
Prior to the Eagles playoff run, Ertz posted the cheesiest, albeit sweetest post on Instagram about Julie. He captioned a photo of the couple, “Best catch I’ve ever made.”
Not only will viewers see Ertz on the TV screen during the game, the sports power couple star in their own Visa commercial, which will air numerous throughout Sunday’s matchup. Julie posted about their commercial debut on Instagram. She wrote, “Being married to a world-class athlete is always hard. Just ask @zachertz Check out our all-new @Visa_us commercial, and tap to pay with your @Chase Visa contactless card to speed through checkout! #VisaAmbassador.”
Ertz and Julie are relationship goals, and they both continually lift each other throughout their respective careers. On the tight end’s birthday, Julie wrote of her husband of two years, “Happy Birthday @zachertz! I love you so much can’t wait to celebrate. You’re my best friend, my number one supporter and I am so grateful to do life with you. Thank you for all your joy, laughter and love.”
Ertz was there in-person to cheer on Julie when the USWNT won the World Cup in France. “It means the world to me,” Julie told Good Morning Football of having her Pro Bowl husband in attendance. “It was really emotional, to be in such a big tournament and see Zach, to look in his eyes during the national anthem was overwhelming. So much motivation. So overwhelming. I knew we were winning after seeing him.”
The Decision For Ertz To Play Still Seems Kind Of Crazy
The decision for Ertz to play was not taken lightly. “I’m no medical doctor so I don’t know. I don’t believe a lot of those reports obviously,” Eagles head coach Doug Pederson said. “But I know this: Zach is a tough guy and we’re going to be smart obviously. We’re going to do our due diligence before we put any injured player back out on the field.”
However, Ertz getting back on the field was a reported lacerated kidney is kind of crazy. He could suffer internal bleeding or worse, which is why it’s believed he may just be suiting up as a decoy, a great public relations move for a guy who carries a reputation as a soft player. Seattle will have to respect Ertz by keeping a safety on alert in coverage and Goedert will reap the benefits.
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