The Washington Commanders confirmed the worst case scenario on veteran tight end Zach Ertz one day after an embarrassing, 31-0 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 14 — the 3-time Pro Bowler is lost for the rest of the season with a torn ACL.
“Commanders veteran TE Zach Ertz did, in fact, suffer a torn ACL, the MRI confirmed,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport wrote on his official X account on Monday, December 8. “Brutal, season-ending injury for the 35-year-old.”
Head coach Dan Quinn speculated after the game that it was probably a torn ACL, which doesn’t exactly make him a medical expert. Anyone watching the game could see there was major structural damage after Vikings safety Jay Ward’s low (and illegal) hit on Ertz seemed to turn his leg the wrong way.
“HC Dan Quinn confirmed that TE Zach Ertz suffered a season-ending injury in yesterday’s game,” the Commanders wrote on their official X account on Monday, December 8. “Wishing 86 a healthy recovery.”
Ertz, 35 years old, is in his second season with the Commanders and was second on the team with 50 receptions for 504 yards and 4 touchdowns.
‘Dirty Hit’ Led to Ertz’s Catastrophic Injury
Ertz’s injury came when Ward went low and hit Ertz on the top of his right knee as he tried to catch a pass — a play that could result in a fine or even possibly a suspension for Ward.
“This is a dirty hit by Jay Ward that has left Zach Ertz down on the field and needing assistance from the trainers to leave the field,” Commanders reporter Chad Ryan wrote on X. “No place for this on the football field. Disgusting play.”
The loss dropped the Commanders to 3-10 with their eighth consecutive loss.
Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels was also taken out of the game after suffering an injury to his left arm in the second half. Quinn said that was just precautionary because the Commanders were trailing by so much by the time he was able to go back in.
Possible Final NFL Game for Ertz
If Ertz has played his last NFL game he can say there wasn’t much he was able to accomplish since the Philadelphia Eagles selected him in the second round (No. 35 overall) of the 2012 NFL draft out of Stanford.
Ertz, 35 years old, is in his 13th NFL season and second season with the Commanders. He spent the first 9 seasons of his career with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he was a Super Bowl champion and 3-time Pro Bowler.
In 2018, Ertz set the NFL single season record for tight ends with 116 receptions to go with 1,163 yards and 8 touchdowns. He also owns the NFL record for most career 2-point conversions (7) shared with Alvin Kamara and Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk.
Ertz has an interesting family situation — he’s arguably not even the most accomplished athlete in his own household. His wife, Julie (Johnston) Ertz, was a 2-time All-American at Santa Clara and spent a decade as a midfielder and defender for the U.S. Women’s National Team and helped lead the U.S. to Women’s World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019.
Commanders Confirm ‘Brutal’ News on 3-Time Pro Bowler