The Philadelphia Eagles will wrap up Week 3 of the 2026 campaign when they square off against the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football. With the Bears down to third-string quarterback Case Keenum, this is a game that the Eagles are widely expected to win, but of course, it is worth noting that they are also dealing with their own injury issues.
At tight end, Dallas Goedert is out after he suffered a sprained MCL, and with very little depth behind him, the team decided to reunite with franchise legend Zach Ertz earlier this week. Philly signed Ertz to its practice squad, so it wasn’t a guarantee that he would play in Week 3, but it came as no surprise to see that he was elevated to the active roster just a few hours before kickoff.
Eagles Elevate Zach Ertz From Practice Squad to Active Roster for Bears Clash
A second-round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, Ertz spent the first eight-and-a-half seasons of his career with the Eagles. During his prime, Ertz was one of the top tight ends in the league, with his best season coming in 2018 when he caught 116 passes for 1,163 yards and eight touchdowns. That was one of Ertz’s three Pro Bowl campaigns, but there’s no doubt that the highlight of his tenure with Philly came when he helped the team win Super Bowl LII over the New England Patriots.
Ertz has spent the past few years playing for the Arizona Cardinals and Washington Commanders. While he enjoyed a resurgence with the Commanders in 2024 and 2025, Ertz suffered a gruesome knee injury last season that saw him tear his ACL and LCL in his right knee. Considering how he had just turned 35 a couple of months before going down with this injury, it was fair to wonder if that would be the end of Ertz’s career.
While he didn’t sign with a new team over the offseason, Ertz never retired, seeming to indicate he would be open to playing again in 2026 if the right opportunity popped up. That opportunity emerged with the Eagles once Goedert went down, and after elevating him to the active roster on Monday afternoon, Ertz’s return to the Eagles will officially take place in Week 3.
We have elevated TE Zach Ertz and LB Chance Campbell for tonight’s game,” the Eagles announced in a post on X.
Zach Ertz Still Has Gas Left in the Tank for the Eagles
Ertz isn’t the Pro Bowl-caliber player he once was, but he’s still a reliable safety valve in the passing game, which is really all the Eagles need him to be. Before his injury last season, Ertz had caught 50 passes for 504 yards and four touchdowns in 13 games with the Commanders, so he could quickly reemerge as a top target in the air for Jalen Hurts.
There’s no telling what Ertz will look like in the wake of his recovery from a serious injury, but he’s been known for his consistency throughout his career, so it wouldn’t necessarily be a surprise to see him make an immediate impact in his return to town. Kickoff for this game is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET on Monday night.
Eagles Announce Zach Ertz Roster Move Ahead of Bears Contest