Zach Ertz didn’t just walk back into the Eagles’ locker room this week. He walked into a spot that practically begs for a little mentoring.
On Thursday at the Jefferson Health Training Complex, Ertz spoke for the first time since rejoining Philadelphia, and the scene around him made the moment even more interesting. Reporters crowded in.
Questions piled up. And right beside him sat an empty locker that belongs to Eli Stowers, the Eagles’ second-round rookie tight end.
That setup did not seem random.
“I don’t think it’s an accident that they put me here,” Ertz said. “I’m excited to work with him.”
Stowers, the No. 54 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft, has had a rough start to his Eagles career. He hasn’t played in a game.
He hasn’t practiced in weeks. An injury late in training camp, coming after a disappointing summer, has left him on IR.
For a player the Eagles hoped would grow into a major piece, the early returns have been thin. Stowers is still trying to translate his athletic gifts into real production, and the learning curve has been steep.
He only started playing tight end a few years ago, and the mental side of the NFL has already tested him. Add in hamstring and quad injuries near the end of camp, and he’s not close to getting on the field.
Still, the talent is obvious. Ertz said he’s “heard a lot” about Stowers, and the two share the same agent. He noted Stowers’ rare athletic profile, pointing out that “not many tight ends” can run a 4.5-second 40-yard dash and post a 44-inch vertical leap - numbers Stowers turned in at the Scouting Combine.
The challenge, though, has been putting all of that together.
The Eagles knew Stowers would need time. In fact, it was becoming clear early in the summer that this was shaping up more like a redshirt year than a quick path to a big role in the 2026 offense.
That’s where Ertz enters the picture. Few players in the league have the kind of resume to help a young tight end find his footing: 13 years in the NFL, 825 catches, 8,592 receiving yards and 57 touchdowns. Even better, Ertz built his reputation as a receiver first before developing into a complete tight end.
He also knows what it’s like to be part of the Eagles’ tight end chain of succession. When he was traded in 2021, reports at the time said his relationship with Dallas Goedert wasn’t the best.
Ertz said he didn’t want to leave Philadelphia, but the move opened the door for Goedert, the 2018 second-round pick, to claim the No. 1 job. Goedert did exactly that.
Now the Eagles are hoping Stowers can follow a similar path. General manager Howie Roseman spent serious draft capital to bring him in as Goedert’s eventual successor, and while the early results haven’t matched the investment, there’s still belief in the building that Stowers can become that player.
For now, he gets a front-row seat to one of the best to ever play the position.
“Everyone has a superpower in this league, and he’s got to play to his superpower,” Ertz said. “I’m looking forward to helping him kind of unlock that mentally, physically, to be at his best. I really embrace that role in my later stage of life ... football life, I should say.”
In Other News...
DeVonta Smith Just Gave The Eagles A New Offensive Worry
DeVonta Smiths status is suddenly something the Eagles have to monitor closely, with the wideout missing Thursdays practice because of a hamstring injury. Its a familiar concern for Philadelphia after Smith dealt with a hamstring issue earlier in training camp, and the timing matters with another game coming up against the Bears.
Smith was a key part of the offense in the win over Tennessee, so any setback there carries real weight for the Eagles passing game. If he cannot go, the offense may need to lean more heavily on Dontayvion Wicks, who would be in line for a bigger workload depending on how the week unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Injury Report Looks Bad But One Detail Changes The Panic
The Eagles Week 3 injury report looks crowded enough to make anyone pause, with several offensive names either missing or limited in practice. Running backs Tank Bigsby, Will Shipley and Saquon Barkley all showed up on it, along with wide receiver DeVonta Smith and tight end Dallas Goedert, while the defensive side included Jalen Carter, Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Mukuba in some form of participation.
Still, the timing softens the alarm a bit, because Philadelphia has an extra day to get ready before its Monday night matchup with the Chicago Bears. That matters when the list includes players who are still working through the week rather than being fully shut down, and it gives the Eagles a little more runway to sort out who is truly in danger of missing game day and who is simply dealing with the usual late-September wear and tear. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Found A Legal Kickoff Edge The NFL May Not Ignore
The Eagles quietly added another wrinkle to their special teams playbook in Week 2, and it may be the kind of small edge the rest of the league cannot ignore for long. Special teams coordinator Michael Clay adapted a kickoff tactic that uses a holder to position the ball at an angle without a tee, and it helped Philadelphia get better results on kickoffs while staying within the current NFL rulebook.
Around the league, though, the move has already started to draw attention, with other teams studying whether the setup should remain legal as is. Bears special teams coordinator Richard Hightower has also weighed in, and special teams coordinators are set to meet before the Eagles and Bears play, a sign this is becoming more than just a quirky Philadelphia adjustment. [Read more 🡒]