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The Washington Commanders wanted an influx of veterans on their roster in 2024 — part of the massive turnover that’s seen only 57 percent of the roster return from 2023.
Not every one of those veterans will have enough gas left in the tank to help the Commanders win games.
One of those might be veteran tight end Zach Ertz, who Bleacher Report’s David Kenyon thinks could wind up being Washington’s “biggest bust” in 2024. Ertz signed a 1-year, $3 million contract with the Commanders in the offseason.
“Zach Ertz has reliable hands,” Kenyon wrote. “For rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, that will be a positive in a safety outlet. At this point of Ertz’s career, however, that’s about as positive as it gets. He hardly generates any yards after the catch and is no longer a high-volume target.”
Ertz is in his 12th NFL season and will turn 34 years old in November.
Ertz Was One of NFL’s Best Tight Ends … in 2010s
The days of Ertz being an elite tight end are a distant memory, but it’s worth pointing out that at one point he was one of the NFL’s elite tight ends.
Ertz was a unanimous All-American at Stanford in 2012 and spent the first nine seasons of his career with the Philadelphia Eagles after they selected him in the second round of the 2013 NFL draft.
With Philadelphia, Ertz made three consecutive Pro Bowls from 2017 to 2019 and was part of the Eagles’ Super Bowl-winning team following the 2017 season. He had at least 700 receiving yards every season from 2014 to 2019 and had a career year in 2018, when he set an NFL record for tight ends with 116 receptions to go with 1,163 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns.
Ertz also holds Philadelphia franchise records for most receptions in a single game (15) and mosts receptions in a single season (116). He missed five games with an injury in 2020 and had career lows of 335 receiving yards and 1 touchdown.
In 2021, Ertz was traded to the Arizona Cardinals midway through the season and bounced back with 74 receptions for 763 yards and 5 touchdowns. His play landed him another big payday after he signed a 3-year, $31.65 million contract with the Cardinals in March 2022.
Over the last two seasons, Ertz has missed 17 games due to injury and was eventually released by the Cardinals toward the end of the 2023 season and finished the year on the practice squad for the Detroit Lions.
More Options at Tight End For Commanders
The Commanders might be paying Ertz to be a trusted mentor more than anything in 2024.
Washington drafted Kansas State tight end Ben Sinnott in the second round (No. 53 overall) of the 2024 NFL draft and Ertz could more than pay off if he helps guide the beginning of Sinnott’s career in a positive manner.
Ertz is currently listed at the top of the depth chart for the Commanders, with Sinnott as his backup. Sinnott, 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds, went from a walk-on to a two-time All-Big 12 selection at Kansas State and led the Wildcats with 49 receptions for 676 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns in 2023 while also spending time at fullback.
“Athletic F tight end with an ability to add value in the passing game and handle some blocking duties in space,” wrote NFL analyst Lance Zierlein in his pre-draft evaluation of Sinnott. “The former walk-on has added 40 pounds to his frame without losing his speed or agility. He’s an adequate route runner with the quickness to compete against man coverage on all three levels and get additional yards after the catch. He lacks NFL physicality to hold up on blocking duties near the line, and he needs to prove he can play with quicker, stronger hands as a pass catcher.”
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