Commanders TE Zach Ertz Makes Bold Statement About Rest of Career

His decision to return for a 14th season wasn’t just about Zach Ertz loving life in the NFL. Rather, the Washington Commanders tight end still believes he’s a difference-maker, but once he’s not, Ertz says he’ll “be done.”

The 34-year-old explained his thinking to Doug Farrar of Athlon Sports. Ertz made it clear he’s “not just gonna be out there if I can’t impact the game. I don’t do this just to say I’m gonna play 14, 15, 16 years. I’m gonna be out there if I can make a difference. If I can’t do that, then I’ll be done.”

This is a commendable take from Ertz, who has nothing left to prove as a Super Bowl winner and three-time Pro Bowler. His words show he’s not just marking time, but is still approaching the game with peak professionalism.

The Ertz approach is exactly the example Commanders general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn want younger players to follow. Particularly star quarterback Jayden Daniels, whom Ertz credited for allowing him to “be my best again.”

Daniels came to rely on Ertz as an underrated but invaluable safety valve in clutch situations and decisive areas of the field. It’s a key role, and Ertz will need a worthy successor before he calls time on his career.

Quinn and Peters continue to hope Ben Sinnott can be the heir apparent, but second-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft has a ways to go after a disappointing rookie campaign.

Zach Ertz Still Has Vital Role for Commanders

Ertz was still impacting games last season, enough to become one of Daniels’ go-to targets when under pressure. A young signal-caller relying on a safe pair of hands was understandable when Ertz turned 38 of his 66 receptions into first downs, per Pro Football Reference.

The same source detailed how Ertz averaged an impressive 7.1 yards before catch per reception. It’s the third-highest tally in the player’s decorated career and proves Ertz still knows how to stretch defenses and separate from coverage, something underlined by an average of 1.71 yards “from his assigned defender at the moment the pass arrives,” according to Player Profiler.

Like all quality veteran receivers, Ertz saved his best plays for inside the red zone. He helped himself to eight touchdown catches, seven during the regular season.

One of his best was this game-winner against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 16, on a “shallow trail,” per Coach Dan Casey of The Play Caller’s Club, who believes Ertz still “feasts on this route.”

Coming up big with a game on the line is what distinguishes the good and great pass-catchers from the average and mediocre. The Commanders know which bracket Ertz still belongs in, but they are waiting to find out about Sinnott.

Commanders Expect 2nd-Year Surge from Ben Sinnott

Sinnott needs to accelerate his development to safeguard the Commanders against any sudden decline in Ertz’s performances. Fortunately, there have been some reasons for optimism about the former Kansas State standout’s progress this offseason.

Those reasons include when “Tight ends coach David Raih said Sinnott has made strides this offseason, both as a blocker and pass-catcher. There were some positive signs during the season — he caught all his targets — and depending on how he looks in camp, he could get more looks in his second season,” according to Commanders.com Senior Writer Zach Selby.

Sinnott’s efficiency getting his hands on the ball is reason to believe he could someday take the reins from Ertz. Some of the smart grabs highlighted here by Jacob Gibbs show the potential of Ertz’s understudy.