Free Agent Zach Ertz Reveals Where He Wants To Sign

April 14, 2026 , ,
Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz reacts during 2025 game.

Zach Ertz's tears flowed freely in December when he suffered torn ligaments in his right knee along with a torn hamstring in a Washington Commanders loss to the Minnesota Vikings. 

At 35, with an ACL on the mend and no contract, it looked like a career-ending moment. Ertz doesn't see it that way. "I don't want to retire with any regret," he told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "I still want to play. And I think the time to reflect is when it's officially done. But I don't think that is right now." 

He's currently working out at a training center south of Phoenix, and the rehab is going well enough that he conceded he may need to begin the season on the PUP list, which is a long way from done. 

And the destination he's eyeing? Philadelphia.

The Record He's Chasing

Only four tight ends in NFL history have more career receptions than Ertz's 825, and he's 11 shy of Harold Carmichael's Eagles franchise record of 589 catches. 

"I would love him to get it," Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said, "but not at the expense of what we need to do."  

Philadelphia re-signed Dallas Goedert to a one-year deal, meaning he remains atop the tight end depth chart for 2026. 

Goedert had 60 catches, 591 yards, and 11 touchdowns last season, and he's not a problem to work around. But Ertz coming back as a complementary piece behind him isn't as far-fetched as it sounds, particularly on a short-term, low-cost deal given Philadelphia's nearly $35 million in available cap space.  

Does It Actually Happen?

The Eagles haven't committed to anything, and the draft later this month could change the calculus at tight end entirely. 

Lurie acknowledged the uncertainty himself, saying: "Maybe he'll go back to Washington. We don't know. You never know. We brought back Brandon Graham. So you never know."  

Ertz met with Howie Roseman at the NFL meetings in March, and he's been clear about where he wants to finish. "I think everyone knows how I feel about that place, that city," Ertz said. "I wouldn't close that door either by any means. I think it's worth the conversation, for sure."  

Whether Roseman feels the same way after the draft, when the TE depth chart comes into focus, is the question hanging over all of it. 

Ertz wants one more chapter. The Eagles get to decide whether they're in it. 

Photo Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images

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