Getty Zach Ertz, 31, will make $17.5 million guaranteed.
Zach Ertz is sticking around the NFL for at least three more years after inking a $31.65 million deal, according to ESPN. He’ll remain with the Arizona Cardinals and earn $10.55 million per year, including $17.5 million in guaranteed money.
Ertz had been telling people he wanted to stay in Arizona, per Jeremy Fowler, and the 31-year-old tight end “quickly received his wish.” The Philadelphia Eagles traded Ertz at last year’s deadline in exchange for cornerback Tay Gowan and a 2022 fifth-rounder. He went on to catch 56 passes for 574 yards and three touchdowns as a member of the Cardinals. He finished ninth in receiving yards among all qualifying tight ends.
There had been rumors circulating that Washington might pursue Ertz in free agency considering his close relationship with quarterback Carson Wentz, who was traded to the Commanders on March 9. The two were teammates in Philly, where they shared great chemistry on and off the field. That reunion won’t be happening following Ertz’s three-year extension with Arizona.
“I would like to [return to the Cardinals], I think I’ve made that very clear to everyone involved that I would like to be back in Arizona,” Ertz said in an All Cardinals story published February 11. “But at the end of the day, there’s a lot of things that are out of my control.”
Ertz is a Philly legend and he’ll no doubt have his No. 86 retired by the franchise whenever he calls it quits. He and his wife, Julie, maintain strong roots in the community through their Ertz Family Foundation.
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Scratch Mike Williams Off the Wish List
The Eagles are expected to be aggressive in free agency this offseason, most notably when it comes to wide receiver. One name off the board is Mike Williams who re-upped with the Los Angeles Chargers on a bank-breaking deal. His three-year, $60 million contract (via NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero) ranks him fifth in average annual value at his position, at $20 million per year.
Williams had 76 receptions for 1,146 yards and nine touchdowns last season, including six games with 80-plus receiving yards. The 27-year-old solidified himself as a much more than a deep threat and turned into one of Justin Herbert’s most explosive weapons, alongside teammate Keenan Allen. Those two receivers are dwarfed only by Davante Adams, Julio Jones, and DeAndre Hopkins in terms of average annual salary.
Tom Brady Announces Return to Football
He’s back. Tom Brady’s short retirement lasted a little over a month after the future Hall of Famer announced he was returning in a Twitter message on March 14. He’ll embark on his 23rd NFL season and look for an eighth Super Bowl ring with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
These past two months I’ve realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands. That time will come. But it’s not now. I love my teammates, and I love my supportive family. They make it all possible. I’m coming back for my 23rd season in Tampa. Unfinished business LFG
The decision comes about 24 hours ahead of the NFL’s “legal tampering period,” meaning that Tampa Bay’s prospective free agents have incentive to stay put. The quarterback balance of power seemed to be shifting to the AFC following Brady’s retirement and Russell Wilson’s trade to Denver. Not anymore. Brady’s back.
“These past two months I’ve realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands,” Brady wrote. “That time will come. But it’s not now.”