Zach Ertz is back home with the Philadelphia Eagles. The franchise signed the veteran tight end to its practice roster earlier this week, with the position currently shaky in depth at the moment. Even though this is familiar ground for Ertz, he felt like a newbie all over again.
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“I don’t know if I’ve ever been more nervous for a walkthrough than today,” Zach Ertz said to the media after his first practice back with the Eagles. “Obviously, the past nine and a half months have been tough. A lot of emotions going through today, a lot of prayers going through today, just to try and center myself. So there are definitely a lot of emotions.
“Being back with Lane [Johnson] was definitely special. We started our career together 14 years ago. So to be able to be back with him, it’s so special. Overall, it was a decent day. Some things I wanna improve on for sure, and just trying to get better every day.”
Ertz is back with the Eagles, who drafted him 13 years ago. The team needed backup with Dallas Goedert out with an MCL injury, and rookie Eli Stowers and Grant Calcaterra on injured reserve. But more than the Eagles needing him, it was Ertz’s wish to end his career on a high note.
“This is a place that I’ve always called home,” he said. “This is a place that when everyone asks where my favorite place to play is, everyone knows it’s here. There are so many memories when you’re in a place for nine years so it’s special to be back.”
Ertz himself suffered a season-ending knee injury in December, and it was dangerous enough to threaten the end of his career. He was on a good run up until this point, having posted 1,158 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns for the Washington Commanders.
“When I first got hurt, I was like, ‘Man, is this it?’” Ertz said to Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer in April. “It was such a violent injury, the abruptness of the season being over. … The video is nasty. I’ve seen it plenty of times. Once is enough and I’ve seen it more than once.”
“I couldn’t live with the fact that I just gave up and there was a what-if hanging over my life for the rest of my life,” Ertz said on his first day back at practice.
He had been a free agent while recovering, but he still wanted to play football again.
After doctors repaired Ertz’s knee, they found that his cartilage and meniscus were actually healthy and had not been damaged. That was good news because it meant his recovery could go as planned, giving him hope that he could regain full strength in around nine months and return to the NFL for another 14th season.
Getting him back into the team also gave the Eagles a solid addition.
Ertz has had a long and successful NFL career. He has been selected to three Pro Bowls and won a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles after the 2017 season. During his career, he has played for the Eagles, Arizona Cardinals, and the Commanders.
His numbers show how productive he has been as a tight end. Ertz has made 825 catches, the fifth-most by any tight end in NFL history, and tallied 8,592 receiving yards, which ranks eighth. He has also scored 57 touchdowns in 181 regular-season games, starting in 143 of them.
“Well, obviously he’s a very, very comfortable pass catcher,” offensive coordinator Sean Mannion said. “He’s had a really strong track record in that area. We’ll use the week to evaluate and see what Zach’s role looks like. We’re excited to have him here and it’s pretty cool.
“It’s funny, I was catching up [with him], I actually played against him in high school and then we were catching up and it’s cool because he’s had such a strong track record in this league and now to add him in kind of at a point midyear when we’re a little dinged up will be fun.”
Ertz is playing his 14th season in the league, and like every other veteran player in his position, has also been faced with retirement talks. But he made it clear when he was a free agent that he does not want to end his career on a note as bad as the knee injury. He can still deliver what is expected of him.
Will Ertz find his groove as an Eagle? We will have to wait and watch.