After an offseason of endless rumors that Zach Ertz was going to be traded, the Philadelphia Eagles tight end sat down in front of reporters after a strong Training Camp with one aim in mind – to retire as an Eagle.
Ertz was coming off of a torrid season that saw him catch 36 passes for 335 yards and a touchdown. He struggled with injuries and a clouded head as the team he loved so dearly refused to give him the payday he craved. They reportedly offered him a deal similar to that of Austin Hooper and that was declined by the Stanford product. From that moment on, there was nothing but radio silence.
But today, Ertz sounded at peace with the situation, opening his press conference by saying how long it had been since he’d been this happy coming to work.
”This is the place I want to be. This is the place I want to retire.” Ertz said. “I’m moving on from everything that happened this offseason.”
The natural response by reporters was one of curiosity. After what felt like such a turbulent 2020 campaign, it’s almost surreal to see Ertz so calm and optimistic. “I love this city too much to burn it down.” He explained.
Zach Ertz is going to be an integral part of the Eagles offense this season in what will be his final contracted year. While he remained optimistic about a new deal being worked out, it may not be that simple given that Dallas Goedert is also in a contract year. That’s a conversation for another day, though.
What matters right now is that Ertz is clearly in a good place mentally and is coming off of a strong training camp. That can only mean good things for a very young Eagles team.
Photo by Nicole Fridling/Icon Sportswire
