Veteran tight end Zach Ertz will head into free agency while rehabbing a torn ACL, leaving his future with the Washington Commanders uncertain.
Before the injury cut short his season, Ertz delivered a steady 2025 campaign despite missing four games. He finished second on the team with 50 receptions and four touchdown catches, and ranked third with 504 receiving yards, providing a reliable option in the passing game.
The production added to an already impressive résumé. Ertz now owns 825 career receptions for 8,592 yards and 57 touchdowns — totals that rank fifth, eighth and 11th all-time among NFL tight ends, respectively.
Long regarded as one of the league’s most polished route runners, Ertz became a dependable safety valve for young quarterback Jayden Daniels as Daniels progressed through his first two seasons. Though Ertz is removed from his Pro Bowl peak with the Philadelphia Eagles — who drafted him in the second round in 2013 — he has continued to thrive by finding soft spots in coverage and displaying the sure hands that have defined his career.
Now 35 and working his way back from a significant knee injury, Ertz faces questions about where he’ll play next. Whether he returns to Washington or signs elsewhere, the veteran appears intent on extending a career that, even in its later stages, has remained productive and impactful.
