Getty The Philadelphia Eagles could seek a reunion with TE Zach Ertz.
The Philadelphia Eagles could make one more big move before the conclusion of the regular season.
As Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz reports, the Eagles — along with the Baltimore Ravens — are potential landing spots for tight end Zach Ertz if he clears waivers following his release from the Arizona Cardinals. Ertz previously played for the Eagles for eight seasons (2013-2020), notching three consecutive Pro Bowl bids between 2017 and 2019.
“Keep an eye on the #Ravens (Mark Andrews out for the season) and possible #Eagles renunion (still missing Dallas Goedert) as potential landing spots for Zach Ertz — should he clear waivers,” writes Schultz on Thursday, November 30. “The 3x Pro Bowl TE wants to play for a contender, while both Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts are MVP candidates.”
Why Zach Ertz is Being Released by Cardinals
The report from Schultz comes shortly after former NFL player — and his ex-Cardinals teammate — J.J. Watt reported that Ertz is requesting his release from the Cardinals and aiming to sign with a contender.
“Trying new things in retirement, so let’s steal AdamSchefter job for a day…TE Zach Ertz has requested & been granted his release from the Arizona Cardinals,” writes Watt. “The 3-Time Pro Bowler plans to sign with a contender and make a run at his 2nd Super Bowl ring.”
The 33-year-old Ertz was initially traded to the Cardinals from the Eagles midway through the 2021 season. Ertz quickly made an impact, emerging as one of Kyler Murray’s favorite targets, finishing the year with 74 receptions for 763 receiving yards and five touchdowns.
After signing a three-year deal worth nearly $32 million prior to the start of the 2022 season, Ertz’s numbers declined. The veteran tight end posted just 47 receptions for 406 receiving yards for 8.6 yards per reception. His receiving yards total and his yards per reception were the lowest of his career.
Furthermore, his season was cut short after just 10 games due to a knee injury suffered in Week 10.
The 2023 season saw Ertz’s production take even more of a hit as he posted just 27 receptions for 187 receiving yards for 6.9 yards per reception through seven games this season. Furthermore, his playing time has seen a major decrease — 64% of the offensive snaps this season in comparison to 79% from last season — as young tight end Trey McBride’s role in Arizona has increased. By comparison, Ertz’s stats pale in comparison to McBride, who has 48 receptions for 521 receiving yards.
Due to suffering a quadriceps injury back in October, Ertz had been on injured reserve prior to his release.
Why Eagles Could Seek ‘Reunion’ With Zach Ertz
At his peak, Ertz was a statistical machine. The former second-round draft pick posted 116 receptions for 1,163 receiving yards and eight touchdowns during the 2018 season. Not only did the number of receptions rank second in the NFL for that season, it’s a single-season record for receptions by a tight end.
While Ertz clearly isn’t the tight end he was just a couple years prior, he could fill a major void for the Eagles considering the team’s current starter, Dallas Goedert, is sidelined due to a broken forearm injury suffered in Week 9. Not only is he currently on injured reserve, he has to return to practice. While there’s a chance he could return for the team’s upcoming game against the San Francisco 49ers, the team is still lacking depth at tight end.
Jack Stoll has started at tight end in Ertz’s absence and has just four receptions for 27 yards on the season. By adding Ertz as a complementary tight end to Goedert, the Eagles could add another offensive weapon to their arsenal rather than relying on a pure blocking tight end such as Stoll.