As we wait to see if/when the Eagles trade Zach Ertz, there are apparently some top quarterbacks around the league who are hoping Ertz ends up with their teams.
This nugget comes from NFL Network’s Mike Silver:
“Some of the league's best quarterbacks are actively recruiting him for what that’s worth,” Silver said on NFL Network on Monday afternoon. “It’s a fluid situation and something could happen very quickly.”
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Silver reported earlier in the week that an Ertz trade could happen “in the coming days.” It seems pretty obvious that Ertz’s time with the Eagles is coming to an end. If the Eagles aren’t able to trade Ertz, it seems likely that the Pro Bowl tight end would ask for his release.
Either way, the Eagles will save just under $5 million in much-needed cap space once they move on from Ertz. And this has been a breakup a long time in the making.
But what does it mean that top quarterbacks are recruiting Ertz? It’s not like he’s a free agent. He’s under contract with the Eagles until they either trade him or cut him.
“Zach Ertz has a lot of friends in the NFL,” Silver said when pressed. “He’s been selected to three Pro Bowls, he’s been one of the league’s top players. Quarterbacks know what a difference he has made in the past and they believe he’s still got plenty left. That doesn’t necessarily mean that offers will follow but he’s definitely looking for the best possible situation, not just in terms of money but revitalizing that career and trying to get another ring.”
NFL
This is interesting because while Ertz isn’t free to choose where he goes, that’s sort of how Silver framed it … that Ertz is looking for the best situation. So maybe the player in this instance has some say. Because would a team trade for Ertz if they know he doesn’t want to be there? After all, he’s still looking for a new contract. And top quarterbacks sometimes have the ear of their general managers.
Ertz, 30, had a down year in 2020, catching 36 passes for 335 yards and 1 touchdown. He played in just 11 games because of an ankle injury and Silver also reported that Ertz had surgery after the season ended to correct the problem.
Before Ertz’s forgettable 2020 season, he went to three consecutive Pro Bowls and put up big numbers. In fact from 2015-2019, Ertz had at least 74 catches and at least 816 receiving yards in all five seasons.
The Eagles and Ertz were unable to come to a contract agreement during the 2019 season and that continued last offseason. Eventually, Ertz wondered publicly if the Eagles were really committed to him and it seems like the relationship has been fractured since then. It’s clear that after eight years with the Eagles, Ertz won’t be back in 2021.
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