Former Stanford legend Ertz scores a touchdown in his return to Philadelphia

The former Eagles star gets a little bit of revenge in his return to the city where his NFL career began.

Nov 10, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz (86) is tackled by Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (39) during the first half at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Welcome back to Philly, Mr. Ertz. Three years ago, former Stanford star Zach Ertz saw the trajectory of his NFL career shift after the Philadelphia Eagles, a team that he had been with since his rookie season in 2013 and won a Super Bowl with, traded him to the Arizona Cardinals in order to dump the salary of a player who had been dealing with injuries. Since then, Ertz has struggled to establish himself as a consistent presence, eventually getting released by the Cardinals and having his future in the NFL begin to come into question.

But in 2024, Ertz not only has found himself a new home with the Washington Commanders, he has been the team’s starting tight end all season, being healthy and having played in every game so far. On Thursday Night Football, Ertz returned to Philadelphia where it all started for him and had one of his best games of the year.

In what was a 26-18 loss, Ertz was one of the Commanders’ strongest offensive players, catching six passes out of his seven targets for 47 yards and a late touchdown that came with only 30 seconds left in the final quarter. Down 26-10, Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels dropped back to pass from the shotgun and found Ertz open on a slant to cut the Eagles lead to 26-16.

While they were able to get the two point conversion, it was too late as the game ended with the Eagles winning the game. Ertz’s longest catch of the night went for 16 yards.

Zach Ertz scores in his Philly return.#WASvsPHI on Prime Video
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— NFL (@NFL) November 15, 2024

Through 11 games, Ertz caught 43 passes for 428 yards and two touchdowns, which is currently second on the team behind wide receiver Terry McLaurin. Originally signing a one-year deal to bring a veteran presence to camp and help Daniels get accustomed to the NFL, a strong preseason earned him a starting spot which he has excelled in, proving that a player who was at one point one of the league’s top tight ends still has a lot left in the tank.

Starting the season off 7-2, the Commanders are currently on a two-game losing streak with their loss to the Eagles but with eight days off before their next game, the team will use that time to rest, recover and regroup in order to get their season back on track. Next up on their schedule is a home game with the Dallas Cowboys, another NFC East foe that they will face for the first time this year. Kickoff for that game is Sunday, Nov. 24 and is slated for 1:00 p.m. (PT) at Northwest Stadium.