Former Philadelphia Eagles draft pick Zach Ertz returns to a familiar place for this Sunday’s NFC Championship Game. The Washington Commanders Tight End says he “fell back in love” with the game of football following a frustrating final season with the Arizona Cardinals that resulted in only 187 total yards due to a bothersome lower-body injury. Last May, Ertz signed a one-year deal with the Commanders to reunite with his former Cardinal coach Kliff Kingsbury, the now offensive coordinator in Washington under Dan Quinn.
A Rebound Season in Washington for Ertz
The 34-year-old tight end has enjoyed a rebound season with a combined 705 yards between the regular season and playoff in 2024-25. While the 7.3 yards per catch average likely won’t blow anyone away, Kingsbury has effectively used Ertz all season, resulting in the highest catch rate of his career (64%) and the most touchdowns on a season (8) since his days in Philly were nearing an end back in 2019.
During this playoff run for Zach Ertz, the NFL veteran has made timely plays while making the most of his opportunities. Ertz secured two catches on four targets for 23 yards in Washington’s win over Tampa Bay in the NFC Wild Card. Meanwhile, Ertz’s critical touchdown catch against the Detroit Lions before halftime put the Commanders ahead by 10 points. The Stanford product finished with 5 catches on 5 targets for 28 yards and the touchdown last weekend.
Ertz Watches Eagles Win Homecoming Game in Week 11
Zach Ertz already did the emotional song-and-dance return scene earlier this season before watching this old team walk away with a 26-18 win after a furious fourth-quarter rally capped off by two Saquon Barkley touchdown runs. Ertz secured a late touchdown and the two-point conversion, adding eight points to the score for a more respectable number in the final box score. He had six catches for 47 yards and a score in the loss for Washington in Week 11.
“Everyone knows how I feel about that building, the people in that building, the people in that community,” Ertz said at his NFC Championship Press conference on Wednesday. “Our foundation is still doing work out there for a reason. When the whistle blows, it’s not going to be about the nine years I had there. It’s going to be about trying to make as many plays as possible.”
Related: Ertz Family Foundation Home Page
Ertz feels better prepared to walk back into Lincoln Financial Field this time. “Being able to go back there earlier in the season for the first time as an opponent … got a lot of the emotions out of the way, per se,” Ertz said. “It’s not going to be the first time seeing people I haven’t seen in a long time. For me, I understand the environment it’s going to be. I understand how I am going to be (received) this time versus last time, probably because they’ve got a lot at stake, as well.”
Eagles fans, we can’t disappoint a Birds Super Bowl hero, right? Please add an extra decibel toward the sideline (or your snack table) during the NFC Championship game for ole #86.
Zach Ertz Trade Leads to Jordan Davis selection
After spending nine seasons in Philadelphia, the Eagles traded their fifth all-time leading receiver to the Arizona Cardinals for a rookie cornerback (Tay Gowan) and a 2022 5th-round draft choice. Gowan played two games with the Birds in 2021, registering two tackles before he departed for Minnesota in free agency.
Amazingly, that fifth-round draft pick (#166) helped deliver another star to Philly in a draft-day trade when the Eagles moved up the draft board to draft star Georgia star Jordan Davis at the 2022 NFL Draft. OK fine… there was a first-round draft pick (#15), a fourth-rounder (#124), and an extra fifth (#162) included that allowed the Eagles to move up those three coveted spots in the first round to #13, but without that pick from Arizona (#166), the deal could’ve been dead in the water from a draft value projection standpoint.
The Ertz trade tree directly leads to the acquisition of Davis… and that Eagles defender will be doing everything in his overwhelming power to disrupt Ertz, Jayden Daniels, and the Commanders’ offense on Sunday afternoon with a trip to the Super Bowl LIX on the line. The sixth-seed Commanders battle the second-seeded Eagles matchup in the NFC Championship Game at Lincoln Financial Field at 3 pm EST this Sunday.
Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
