Former Commanders TE Refuses to Let Gruesome Injury Define the End of His Career

After an illustrious career with the Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals that saw him win a Super Bowl during the 2017-2018 season, tight end Zach Ertz made his way to the Washington Commanders to help with the new era being ushered in with Dan Quinn, Adam Peters, and then-rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.

Over the past two seasons in Washington, Ertz has played admirably for a veteran of his age, serving as the perfect safety net for Daniels, but that was unfortunately upended after he tore his ACL in Week 14 against the Minnesota Vikings.

It was a rough injury to say the least, as Ertz was having a great season on his way to becoming an unrestricted free agent. Ertz has been rehabbing ever since to return to the field, and in a recent interview with Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Ertz is determined not to let his injury define the end of his career.

Ertz Opens Up About Injury & Future

“I don’t want it to be the last play that I have,” Ertz said. “Even talking to people now, and they do it out of the goodness of their heart, and [they say], ‘Man, that injury was tough.’ When people think of my career and that last play, I don’t want that to be the conversation starter. And so, for me, it’s just doing everything I can to get back to my best because I felt like I was playing really good football before I got hurt.”

Ertz's time in Washington has likely come to an end with the team high on John Bates and Ben Sinnott as well as the recent signing of Chig Okonkwo, so he is working his way back to prove to the rest of the league that he can still produce.

Washington Commanders TE Zach Ert — Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz (86) Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

It won't be easy, given his age, but Ertz seems determined to get back on the field as soon as possible, with one potential option being to head back to Philadelphia with the Eagles.

Ertz has shown that he can still play, accounting for 11 touchdowns over the past two seasons with the Commanders and moving into 5th all-time in receptions and 8th all-time in receiving yards amongst tight ends in NFL history during his time in Washington. However, it will come down to his bounce back from injury on whether or not a team sees him as an asset to the team.

While it's clear to see why Ertz doesn't want his legacy to be viewed this way, it's almost inevitable in a day and age where we hang on to whatever has happened most recently. But, for those true football junkies, we will always remember what he was able to give to the game and the franchise in Washington.