According to John Keim of ESPN on Wednesday, the Washington Commanders have signed Zach Ertz of Orange, California to a one-year deal worth $5 million. The Commanders are the third team that Ertz has played for. He has previously played nine seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles from 2013 to 2021 and the last three seasons with the Arizona Cardinals from 2021 to 2023. In 2023, Ertz was released by the Cardinals and then signed by the Detroit Lions, but did not play for the Lions in the postseason.
In 2023, Ertz had 27 catches for 187 receiving yards and one touchdown. His touchdown was for four yards from quarterback Joshua Dobbs of Alpharetta, Georgia in a 34-20 Cardinals loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on October 8.
The signing of Ertz means he will reunite with former Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury of San Antonio, Texas in Washington. Kingsbury was the Cardinals head coach from 2019 to 2022, before joining the University of Southern California last year. Kingsbury signed with the Commanders as their offensive coordinator on February 5.
While with the Eagles, went to the Pro Bowl three straight years from 2017 to 2019. His best season came in 2018, when he had career-highs in touchdown catches (eight), receptions (116), and receiving yards (1163). Also with the Eagles, he won Super Bowl LII. Ertz had seven catches for 67 yards and one touchdown in a 41-33 Philadelphia win over the New England Patriots.
Washington is looking for a significant offensive upgrade. The Commanders scored only 329 points, which was the fourth fewest points in the National Football Conference last season. Do not be surprised if the Commanders will be possibly searching for a quarterback upgrade next season too.
For FREE!
