Zach Ertz, a tight end, was quickly drawn to the Washington Commanders in anticipation of his free agency. It just made too much sense for him to join with the Commanders and play for his old head coach, Dan Quinn, of the Arizona Cardinals, especially with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and head coach Dan Quinn in tow, and a chance to see his career resume in the same division. On Wednesday, Ertz formally announced his arrival to Washington with the signing of a one-year contract for up to $5 million.
“Kliff has been a huge part of my success the past few years in Arizona,” Ertz stated on The Pat McAfee Show. It was rather simple for me to say, “Hey, this is a place I would love to play for,” when he was hired in Washington and I was still a free agent. Since my initial entry into the league, they have practically rebuilt the entire structure. Dan Quinn is the new general manager, head coach, and owner. I’ve never heard a negative thing about him, so I’m thrilled to play for him and return to the east coast.”
Ertz spent the first eight-plus seasons of his career with the Philadelphia Eagles, accumulating 579 catches for 6,267 yards and 38 touchdowns. He had a stretch of five straight seasons with at least 74 catches and 800 receiving yards from 2015-2019. The three-time Pro Bowler and former Super Bowl winner struggled mightily in 2020 with just 36 catches for 335 yards and one touchdown in 11 games, and in the middle of the following season, he was traded to the Cardinals.
In his rookie season with the Kansas City Chiefs, the seasoned tight end showed signs of life with 56 receptions for 574 yards and three touchdowns. Ertz had 47 catches for 406 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games in 2022, and he was looking forward to another successful season. However, in Week 10, he suffered ruptured ligaments in his ACL and MCL, which caused his season to end early.
Last season, Ertz only played in seven games, catches 27 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown before getting cut by the Cardinals. Ertz signed with the Detroit Lions’ practice squad at the end of the regular season, but he was never elevated during the playoffs.
