Zach Ertz’s return to Philadelphia is lining up for Monday night against the Chicago Bears, and the Eagles aren’t bringing him back just for the ceremony. They need him to step in as a real TE1 while Dallas Goedert is out.
The team is likely to use one of its practice squad elevations on Ertz ahead of the game, putting the longtime Eagle in position to suit up in Week 3. For Philadelphia, the appeal is simple: a proven veteran who can handle the job in the middle of the field and give Jalen Hurts another reliable option.
That matters because the current tight end picture is thin. Johnny Mundt has already shown he isn’t a TE1, and E.J. Jenkins, who has one career catch, is on the 53-man roster as the fourth tight end rather than someone who should be asked to play 20-plus offensive snaps a game.
Ertz, by contrast, has spent his career being one of the NFL’s best pass-catching tight ends. Even last season, before the torn ACL and LCL that ended his year in December, he was still productive.
In 13 games, he caught 50 passes for 504 yards and four touchdowns. That kind of production would dwarf what Mundt and Jenkins have combined to offer.
The Eagles don’t need Ertz to look like the version that starred in Philadelphia from 2013 to 2021. They need him to be dependable. They need him to be the kind of veteran who can work the seams, settle into the middle of the field, and help keep the offense moving while the receivers continue to carry plenty of the load outside.
Philadelphia’s usage has already reflected the tight end situation. The Eagles have run “12 personnel” on just 20.8% of their plays and “12 personnel” and “13 personnel” on 22.4% of the plays this season. Instead, they’ve leaned heavily on “11 personnel” at 76%, which ranks second in the NFL.
That approach makes sense with the roster they’ve had to work with. The Eagles haven’t had the tight ends to force heavier groupings, and they haven’t tried to pretend otherwise.
With Ertz now in the mix, there’s at least a path to more “12 personnel,” especially with Mundt sliding back into a blocking role. Once Goedert returns, “12 personnel” and “13 personnel” can come back into play more fully.
For Week 3, there could be a slight uptick in “12 personnel” with Ertz available. Even then, the bigger point stays the same: Philadelphia needs him to take the reins at tight end for now.
He doesn’t have to be the old Zach Ertz right away. He just has to be Zach Ertz.
A professional. A trustworthy target.
A player who can fill the gap until Goedert is back.
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Zach Ertzs Return Hints At Eagles Plan For A Key Young Tight End
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For a team that has long valued tight end play, bringing Ertz back is about more than nostalgia. His willingness to help Stowers develop suggests the Eagles see a real long-term role for the young player, and they are giving him a chance to learn before he ever gets on the field. For now, the intrigue is in how much growth Philadelphia can unlock once Stowers is healthy enough to join the mix. [Read more 🡒]