Zach Ertz Remains On Track for His 'End Goal'
Zach Ertz had some pretty big goals when he was set to enter the NFL back in 2013.
About to enter his eighth season as one of the most productive pass-catching tight ends in NFL history, Ertz admitted two big objectives when talking to reporters this week. He wanted to be a first-round draft pick and develop into a Hall of Fame player.
“The goal when I was a rookie was to be in the Hall of Fame,” said Ertz on Friday via Zoom. "I said with my trainer growing up, when we were training for the Combine, he said, 'What are your goals when you get into the NFL?’ I said I want to be a first-round draft pick, and I want to go to the Hall of Fame.
"Unfortunately, I was not a first-round draft pick, three picks later. But, I came into the best situation for me here in Philly.”
The first-round goal was the far more attainable considering Ertz was a star tight end from Stanford, which, along with Notre Dame, are the two schools in the country running for the mythical title of Tight End U.
The HOF standard, though, is unlikely for any player, so perhaps it’s ironic that Ertz came up those three spots short of the likely goal (being picked 35th overall by the Eagles) yet is on a trajectory to reach the latter and far more important one. After all, draft status is about pedigree and when it’s said and done, performance is all that matters.
“The Hall of Fame goal is always something that I strive for,” said Ertz. “You talk about accomplishments. You talk about progress. It’s never something you look at while you’re playing. It’s always the next season, how can you become a better football player, how can I become a better teammate.
“So to me, even though we won the Super Bowl, the next offseason my mentality didn’t change. I broke the record for catches, and my mentality didn’t change. It’s always how can I better this year than I was last year."
The resume to date is already eye-popping.
A three-time Pro Bowl selection who caught the game-winning touchdown in Super Bowl LII, and the preceding fourth-down conversation that former offensive coordinator Frank Reich told SI EagleMaven was the biggest play in the entire game, Ertz has produced more receptions (525) than any other NFL TE through their first seven seasons.
He already ranks second on the Eagles’ all-time receptions list, trailing only HOFer Harold Carmichael (589) and in 2018, Ertz set the NFL single-season record for receptions by a TE with 116.
Set to turn 30 in November, Ertz is still in his prime with a chip on his shoulder considering most outside observers mention players like San Francisco’s George Kittle, Tampa Bay’s Rob Gronkowski and Kansas City’s Travis Kelce when discussing the best players at the position before getting to Ertz.
Ertz himself even picked up on a slight from the Madden video game rankings, a metric the players themselves take way too seriously.
“The way I play the game, I don’t try to make it about myself,” said Ertz. “So, when I see stuff like that - I know the guy who made the rankings - I was laughing out loud at that, he’s kind of a salty guy. So I understood.
“But I do consider myself in that upper echelon, in that same tier of guys. I don’t mean disrespect, but I think a lot of guys in this building feel the same way about me. I’m never in the business of comparing people.”
Ertz does seem to be using it as fuel, however, to continue his run of historic numbers.
“I think all of us are all at the top of our games, and I think we’re all perfect in the offense that we play in, honestly,” he said. “I think we all have unique skill sets, we’re all very different but with some similarities. Overall, I don’t think my game is any less than any of those guys.”
The one hurdle that could derail all of this is money.
Ertz turned down an extension last season and the economic uncertainty of the COVID-19 environment only complicates matters for GM Howie Roseman moving forward. That, coupled with the knowledge that Philadelphia has a second tight end who is going to be in line for a big-money extension in Dallas Goedert, and you have the ingredients for a tough decision.
“In regards to my contract, I made it clear the moment I got here as a rookie that the moment I signed my second contract that my goal was to be like Kobe Bryant, play for one organization their entire career,” Ertz said. “I’ve made that known. I’ll let my agent and Howie handle the rest. I know for sure, I want to be here for the rest of my career.”
The rest of that career starts in September, presumably, and Ertz is ready for more milestones.
“I feel the best I ever had going into Year 8,” he said. “I don’t think I’m slowing down by any means. Doug (Pederson) and my tight end coach (Justin Peelle) last year said it was my best year as a pro that they’ve seen. Overall, I’m excited with where I’m at. The end goal (of the HOF) will never change.
“I’m just fortunate and blessed to even have my name in those conversations right now this early in my career.”
John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's EagleMaven and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John every Monday and Friday on SIRIUSXM’s Tony Bruno Show with Harry Mayes, and every Tuesday and Thursday with Eytan Shander on SBNation Radio. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen
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