The Packers are already deep into training camp, and with preseason games set to start sorting out a few position battles, one familiar veteran still sitting in free agency keeps making sense for Green Bay: Zach Ertz.
Ertz is expected to be ready in the first weeks of the season after an ACL tear a year ago, and that timeline lines up with a Packers tight end room that could use help. Tucker Kraft is recovering from the same injury, and Luke Musgrave, who sits as the primary backup, “hardly inspires confidence.” That’s a pretty clear setup for Green Bay to keep an eye on a proven option who can step in without forcing anyone into a long-term commitment.
There’s a real case for Ertz beyond just filling a body at the position. He’s an accomplished veteran who could give Jordan Love another reliable target while also helping Musgrave continue developing.
On a short-term deal, the fit comes with no real downside. If anything, it gives the Packers insurance if Kraft starts slowly coming back from his own ACL tear.
Ertz also has the kind of resume that suggests he still has something left. He finished each of the last two seasons with more than 500 receiving yards, which is no small thing for an aging tight end coming off injury. That production points to a player who can still contribute, especially for a team expected to be in the NFC playoff mix.
For Green Bay, the appeal goes beyond receiving. Ertz has a history of producing in scoring situations and on late downs, and he could be the steady veteran presence Love leans on when the offense needs a short-yardage answer. He also brings blocking ability, which would fit into Matt LaFleur’s scheme without issue.
The only real drawback is what it would mean for Musgrave. A signing like this would likely push him down the depth chart, but that would be a deserved move based on Kraft’s absence last season and the lack of production Musgrave has shown.
In the end, Ertz looks like the kind of addition that would strengthen a position the Packers can’t exactly feel great about right now. He would add depth, experience, and a little more certainty to a room that could use all three.
In Other News...
Christian Watson Is Giving Packers Fans Real Reason To Believe
Training camp has given Packers fans a familiar kind of optimism, but this one feels grounded in something more tangible than hope. Christian Watson has repeatedly shown up on the field making notable plays with Jordan Love, and the growing chemistry between quarterback and receiver is exactly what Green Bay needs as it continues shaping an offense built around Watson as Loves top target. Given Watsons injury history, every clean stretch of work matters, and camp has offered a reminder of why the team has been so eager to center more of the passing game on him.
The appeal is obvious: if Watson can simply stay on the field, the Packers have a chance to turn those flashes into a true breakout season. His size, speed and fit with Love give Green Bay a real foundation for bigger receiving production, and the expectation around the building is that the numbers could follow if the health does too. For now, the encouraging part is less about projection and more about whats already happening in practice, where Watson is giving fans a reason to believe the offense can look different this fall. [Read more 🡒]
Anthony Campbell Is Suddenly In The Middle Of A Packers Roster Fight
Anthony Campbell has found himself in the middle of a Packers roster battle at just the right moment. The defensive lineman prospect is competing for a place on Green Bays 53-man roster while injuries have thinned the group around him, and he has made the most of the extra opportunity. In recent practices, Campbell has stood out with pass deflections and strong work in one-on-one drills, the kind of small but meaningful signs that can change a camp conversation fast.
For Campbell, the push is also the latest stop in a winding football path that has taken him from Independence Community College to Louisiana Monroe, then Miami, before a stint on the Seahawks practice squad and now Green Bay. Players with that kind of background know how quickly a chance can come and go, and the Packers are giving him a real look at a time when every healthy body matters. What happens next will say plenty about whether this surge is enough to carry him onto the final roster. [Read more 🡒]