Tag: Zach Ertz

Commanders host Texas tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders on a top 30 visit

One of the draft’s top tight ends visiting Washington.

The Washington Commanders could use a young tight end in the 2024 NFL draft. Ja’Tavion Sanders of Texas is arguably the second-best tight end in the draft, behind Georgia’s Brock Bowers.

The Commanders like Sanders and will host him on a top-30 visit, according to Josh Newman of LoneStarLive.com and GulfLive.com.

The 6-foot-4, 245-pound Sanders was a two-time All-Big-12 selection at tight end over the past two seasons. Sanders is considered a likely day-two selection, meaning he could go in the second or third round. Washington has five selections on day two, with two second-round picks and three third-round selections.

The Commanders signed veteran tight end Zach Ertz to start in 2024. However, it is just a one-year deal, and Washington will likely draft a tight end at some point during the draft.

The Commanders currently have John Bates, Armani Rogers and Cole Turner on the roster. Rogers is coming off an  Achilles injury, and Bates is primarily a blocking tight end. Turner faces a make-or-break summer entering year three of his career.

Commanders to host TCU tight end Jared Wiley on top 30 visit

Wiley caught 12 touchdown passes over the past two seasons.

The Washington Commanders released starting tight end Logan Thomas this offseason and signed veteran Zach Ertz to replace him. Ertz joins John Bates, Cole Turner and Armani Rogers as tight ends on Washington’s roster.

Ertz was signed to a one-year deal, meaning the Commanders likely still view tight end as a need heading into the 2024 NFL draft.

Washington brought in Texas tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders on a top-30 visit. Saunders is widely viewed as the second-best tight end in the draft behind Georgia’s Brock Bowers. We can now add another tight end to the Commanders’ visit list.

According to Ryan Fowler of Bleacher Report, TCU tight end Jared Wiley will visit Washington.

Wiley is a 6-foot-6, 249-pound prospect from Temple, Texas, and began his career at the University of Texas. After three seasons in Austin, Wiley transferred to TCU, where he played his final two seasons. In three years at Texas, Wiley had 19 receptions. Over the past two seasons, Wiley caught 71 passes for 765 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Wiley would be a good day-three pick for the Commanders.

USWNT great Ertz announces she’s expecting second child

The two-time World Cup winner announced her retirement last fall

Former U.S. women’s national team star Julie Ertz has announced that she and her husband Zach Ertz are expecting their second child.

The couple already has a son, Madden, who was born in August 2022. In an Instagram post on Saturday, Zach Ertz announced that the pair is expecting again this summer.

“Happy Birthday Mama! We love you! Adding to the family Summer 2024!” Zach Ertz wrote.

After an illustrious career with the USWNT, Julie Ertz announced last fall that she was retiring from the game at age 31. In explaining her decision, the two-time World Cup winner said that she was hoping to spend more time with her family.

“This sport takes sacrifice,” Julie Ertz said. “And I think time with my family is just irreplaceable, especially with where Madden is and his age.”

Zach Ertz, who is entering his 12th NFL season, signed a one-year contract with the Washington Commanders last month.

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WATCH: New Commanders TE Zach Ertz’s highlights

Zach Ertz comes to Washington with 709 career receptions and 46 touchdowns.

New Commanders tight end Zach Ertz comes to Washington with plenty of experience. A second-round pick in 2013, Ertz enters his 12th NFL season in 2024.

Washington fans know Ertz all too well. Having spent the first 8.5 seasons of his career with the Eagles, Ertz regularly caused matchup problems for the Commanders. Ertz has played 17 career games against Washington and has 93 receptions for 888 yards and three touchdowns. Ertz has three games against Washington in which he has caught 10 or more passes.

For his career, Ertz has 709 receptions for 7,434 yards and 46 touchdowns. After the Eagles traded him to the Arizona Cardinals in 2021, many believed his best days were behind him. But then Arizona head coach Kliff Kingsbury reignited Ertz’s career. Ertz was so effective under Kingsbury that he earned a two-year extension that offseason.

Now, Kingsbury is Washington’s offensive coordinator and, with a need at tight end, reunited with Ertz.

The Commanders are expected to select a quarterback at No. 2 overall in the 2024 NFL draft. Ertz will be the perfect safety valve for a young quarterback. During his career, he has helped other young passers, such as Carson Wentz, Jalen Hurts and Kyler Murray.

Courtesy of the Commanders’ social media, let’s look at some of Ertz’s career highlights finding the end zone.

 

The Commanders will meet with Texas tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders ahead of the NFL draft

The Commanders will use one of their 30 pre-draft visits on the Texas star tight end.

The Washington Commanders recently signed veteran tight end Zach Ertz to a one-year deal, and he will likely be the starting tight end in 2024. Ertz proved early in 2023 that he could still play, but he is 33.

Other tight ends on Washington’s roster are John Bates, Cole Turner, and Armani Rogers. Bates is primarily a blocking tight end, while the unproven Turner is more of a big receiver playing tight end. Rogers has the upside but is coming off an Achilles injury that cost him last season.

Therefore, it would make sense that tight end would be a priority for the Commanders in the 2024 NFL draft. Brock Bowers of Georgia is the top prospect but should land somewhere among the top 15 picks. Washington will use its first selection on a quarterback.

Ja’Tavion Sanders of Texas is viewed as the No. 2 tight end in the upcoming draft class. Most view Sanders as a high second-round pick, but he could find his way into the bottom of the first round.

The Commanders like Sanders and, per Ben Standig of The Athletic, will host him on a pre-draft top-30 visit.

Sanders measured in at 6 feet 4 inches and 245 pounds at the NFL combine, running the 40-yard dash in 4.69 seconds. He made several big plays for the Longhorns and finished his final two seasons in Austin with a combined 99 receptions for 1,295 yards and seven touchdowns. The two-time All-Big 12 selection averaged over 15 yards per reception in 2023.

Commanders TE Zach Ertz fired up to play for Dan Quinn and Kliff Kingsbury

Zach Ertz is a big believer in Kliff Kingsbury and praises Dan Quinn as a coach he wanted to play for.

The Washington Commanders released tight end Logan Thomas last week after four seasons. This week, they replaced him with Zach Ertz. Ertz, 33, signed a one-year deal with Washington that could be worth up to $5 million.

The former Philadelphia Eagle enjoyed a career renaissance when he was traded to the Arizona Cardinals in 2021. Ertz caught 56 passes in 11 games with Arizona that year and followed it up with 47 catches in the first 10 games of the 2022 season before suffering a knee injury.

Who was Ertz’s coach in Arizona? New Washington offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.

Kingsbury liked the veteran tight end so much that the Cardinals gave the then-31-year-old Ertz a two-year extension before injuries undermined the rest of his tenure in the desert.

For the Commanders, Ertz is a smart, short-term addition for multiple reasons. He’ll be a tremendous asset to a rookie quarterback and any other young tight ends Washington adds to the roster — and he’s not going to cost much.

You can bet that Ertz is excited to reunite with Kingsbury. In an appearance on the “Pat McAfee Show” on Thursday, Ertz said he was excited to play for head coach Dan Quinn and Kingsbury.

“Obviously, Kliff has been a huge part of my success the past two years in Arizona,” Ertz said.

“So when he got the job in Washington, and I was a free agent, it was very easy for me to say, ‘Hey, this is a place I would love to play for.’ They’ve essentially redone the entire building since when I first came into the league. New owner, new GM now, new head coach. And I’ve never heard anyone say a bad word about Dan Quinn. And so, I am extremely excited to play for him and get back on the East Coast is going to be fun.”

It’s refreshing for Washington fans to hear veteran players want to come to Washington to play for this coaching staff.

What type of impact will Ertz have in 2024? The Commanders have the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, which means Ertz will likely be catching passes from either Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels.

Ertz has shown in the past that he can be the best friend of a young quarterback. Washington hopes for something similar next season.

 

Commanders sign veteran tight end Zach Ertz

The Commanders add a veteran tight end on Wednesday.

The Washington Commanders released tight end Logan Thomas last week in a salary cap move.

On Wednesday, the Commanders found his replacement, signing veteran tight end Zach Ertz to a one-year deal that could earn him up to $5 million.

Ertz, 33, was the Philadelphia Eagles’ second-round pick out of Stanford in 2013. Ertz spent 8.5 seasons with the Eagles before being traded to the Arizona Cardinals in 2021. Ertz was waived in November.

Ertz’s coming to Washington reunites him with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. Kingsbury was Arizona’s head coach for Ertz’s first two seasons with the Cardinals.

It also reunites him with Washington’s quarterback coach, Tavita Pritchard. Pritchard was a senior during Ertz’s freshman season at Stanford and was part of the coaching staff for his final three seasons with the Cardinal.

Ertz becomes the most experienced player in the Commanders’ tight end room, which features John Bates and rising third-year players Armani Rogers and Cole Turner. Rogers missed last season with an Achilles injury, while Turner played sporadically. Washington will almost certainly look toward the draft to add to the group, too.

Ertz was a three-time Pro Bowler with the Eagles. When traded to the Cardinals, he was 30 and produced good numbers under Kingsbury. In 11 games with Arizona in 2021, Ertz caught 56 passes for 574 yards and three touchdowns. In 2022, Ertz had 47 receptions for 406 yards and four touchdowns in only 10 games. Ertz suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 10 after signing a three-year extension earlier that year.

He returned in 2023, catching 27 passes in seven games before he requested his release in November.

Ertz has enjoyed success against Washington over his career. He has 93 receptions for 888 yards and three touchdowns in 17 games.

 

Zach Ertz, Kliff Kingsbury reunited in Washington

Ertz gets a one-year contract worth up to $5 million to play for the Washington Commanders in 2024, where Kingsbury is OC.

The Arizona Cardinals fired Kliff Kingsbury as head coach over a year ago and released tight end Zach Ertz last season. The two will work together again.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Ertz has agreed to a one-year contract to sign with the Washington Commanders, where Kingsbury is now the offensive coordinator under new head coach Dan Quinn.

Ertz, 33 years old, played in seven games for the Cardinals in 2023, catching 27 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown. He went on injured reserve with a quad injury before asking for his release, which was granted. He later signed with the Detroit Lions’ practice squad in the playoffs but was never elevated and did not play for them.

Kingsbury loved Ertz when he coached him in Arizona. After the Cardinals acquired him via trade in 2021, he caught 56 passes in 11 games, which give him a tie for the franchise single-season record for receptions by a tight end before Trey McBride broke that record last season.

The one-year deal is worth up to $5 million, Pelissero reports.

The Cardinals will face Ertz, Kingsbury and the Commanders at State Farm Stadium in 2024.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

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Former Eagles TE Zach Ertz to sign a 1-year deal with Commanders

Former Philadelphia Eagles star tight end Zach Ertz is returning to the NFC East on a one-year deal with the Washington Commanders

Zach Ertz is returning to the NFC East, as the record-setting former Philadelphia Eagles tight end has agreed to a one-year deal with the Washington Commanders.

The Cardinals and Ertz mutually parted ways last season. Arizona decided to move forward with Trey McBride as the feature tight end while allowing Ertz to seek a role elsewhere.

Ertz went unclaimed and spent one week with the Detroit Lions during the postseason.

Ertz spent 8.5 seasons in Philadelphia, totaling 579 receptions for 6,267 yards and 38 touchdowns. In 2018, he set the NFL record for most catches by a tight end in a single season. He’ll go down as one of the best players in franchise history, making a significant impact in the city.

He’ll now have an opportunity to help Dan Quinn and Kliff Kingsbury get the Washington offense on track.

Lions elevate 2 from practice squad but Zach Ertz isn’t one of them

Lions elevate 2 from practice squad for the NFC Championship game but Zach Ertz isn’t one of them

The Detroit Lions elevated two players up from the practice squad to the active roster for Sunday’s playoff matchup with the 49ers. However, former Pro Bowl tight end Zach Ertz is not one of them.

Ertz was signed during the week to the practice squad after the Lions lost TE Brock Wright to injury. However, Ertz wasn’t able to convince the coaching staff that he’s ready for playoff action. He’s been sidelined since October with a leg injury that led to his departure from the Cardinals.

The Lions elevated FB Jason Cabinda and OL Michael Schofield. Cabinda played last week in the win over Tampa Bay. Schofield provides depth with LG Jonah Jackson ruled out with a knee injury.