Now that George Kittle and Travis Kelce have re-set the NFL’s tight end market, the Eagles have rekindled contract talks with record-setting tight end Zach Ertz, according to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Two weeks ago, Kittle agreed to a five-year, $75 million contract from the 49ers and Kelce got $57.25 over four years million from the Chiefs.
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Kittle, Kelce and Ertz are generally considered the three top tight ends in the NFL.
Ertz has two years left on a five-year deal with the Eagles that averages $8.5 million per year.
While Ertz may not be the blocker that Kittle is or the down-field threat that Kelce is, he has more catches than any tight end in NFL history after seven seasons, and he already ranks 13th in NFL history among tight ends with 525 career receptions. He turns 30 in November.
Although Ertz isn’t likely to get into the $14 or $15 million per year range that Kittle and Kelce got, if the Eagles do re-sign him it’s expected that his deal would jump at least to somewhere in the $12 million neighborhood per year.
NFL
Ertz is currently the 4th-highest-paid tight end in the league in terms of annual average salary, behind Kittle, Kelce and Rob Gronkowski of the Bucs, who is on the final year of a six-year contract he signed with the Patriots that’s worth $9 million per year.
The Eagles are in a tricky position with two outstanding tight ends whose contracts both expire after the 2021 season.
Dallas Goedert, whose 58 catches last year were 9th-most among all NFL tight ends, said he hopes Ertz does get the contract extension he’s looking for, even though it could mean the Eagles won’t be able to re-sign Goedert.
Ertz, the Eagles’ 2nd-round pick in 2013, needs 65 catches to pass Harold Carmichael (589) and break the franchise record for career receptions.
In 2018, Ertz set an NFL record for tight ends with 116 receptions. Ertz has caught at least 70 passes in five straight seasons. The only tight ends with longer streaks are Tony Gonzalez (11) and Jason Witten (7).
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