The Philadelphia Eagles received unfortunate news on Monday, as veteran tight end Dallas Goedert is “expected to miss a few weeks” with a sprained MCL, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Goedert sustained the injury while run blocking in the second quarter of Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans.
Goedert’s injury update wasn’t ideal for the Eagles, who already have two tight ends on injured reserve (Eli Stowers and Grant Calcaterra). However, Philadelphia quickly pivoted, signing veteran tight end Zach Ertz to the practice squad, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Needless to say, the reunion between Ertz and the Eagles wasn’t a surprise. Before the regular season began, there was buzz about the three-time Pro Bowler being interested in returning to the City of Brotherly Love.
Now Ertz, 35, who spent the first nine years of his career with the Eagles (2013-2021), will have an immediate chance to step in as the TE1 for the injured Goedert. In fact, E.J. Smith of PHLY reported that the veteran tight end has “a real chance” to play in Week 3 against the Chicago Bears.
Ertz spent the last two seasons with the Washington Commanders, where he scored 11 total touchdowns. Last year, he racked up 50 receptions (72 targets) for 504 yards and four touchdowns in 13 games before suffering a torn ACL in December.
Before joining the Commanders, Ertz spent 2.5 seasons (28 games) with the Arizona Cardinals. The Eagles sent the three-time Pro Bowler out west in the middle of the 2021 season. During that time with the Cardinals, the vet scored eight touchdowns and averaged 41.7 receiving yards per game.
What should we expect from Ertz in his second stint with the Eagles?
Looking ahead to Ertz’s second stint with the club, we should expect the Eagles to use him as their primary receiving threat in the middle of the field and inside the red zone. On the other hand, Philly likely won’t utilize Ertz often as a blocker since they have Johnny Mundt and E.J. Jenkins.
Ertz briefly played with Jalen Hurts in 2020 and 2021, so the two have a rapport. Since the veteran pass catcher is on the practice squad, the Eagles don’t have to rush to play him next week as he learns Sean Mannion’s scheme.
In fact, they can elevate Ertz from the practice squad to the active roster three times before having to officially sign him to the 53-man roster on the fourth elevation. Nonetheless, if the veteran tight end can look like he did with Washington last year before injury, he will give the Eagles some cover until Goedert is 100% healthy.
