What does Zach Ertz bring to the Washington Commanders?

Breaking down what new TE Zach Ertz has left to offer the Commanders

While NFL free agency doesn’t officially begin until next week, the Washington Commanders have already started adding players. Veteran tight end Zach Ertz agreed to a one-year deal with the Commanders on Wednesday, reuniting him with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, who was the Cardinals head coach when Arizona traded for Ertz in 2021 and then signed him to an extension in 2022. Ertz is 33, so this certainly isn’t a long-term answer at the tight end position and I believe the Commanders are likely to add another tight end or two at some point this offseason, but he replaces a veteran tight end the Commanders cut recently in Logan Thomas. 

So what does Ertz have left to offer and how will he fit in Kingsbury’s system? Let’s take a closer look.

How much does Ertz have left?

The first question I suspect most people will ask with Ertz is how much he has left in the tank. At 33, he’s older than the tight end the team just cut in Logan Thomas. So is he here as a veteran that has experience in Kingsbury’s system or can he still offer production on the field? Watching some games from last season suggests Ertz isn’t washed up. He’s still athletic with the ability to run and cut at a decent speed and he’s willing to make tough catches over the middle. That makes him a threat to be respected at the tight end position. 

Here’s a play from this past season against the 49ers. Ertz lines up as a detached tight end in the slot to the right and runs up the seam. The 49ers bail out into a Tampa-2 coverage and Ertz adjusts his route accordingly, finding space in the seam and making himself available. He makes the catch over the middle before both the safety and linebacker close in to make the tackle. He holds onto the ball despite taking a low hit near his knee from the safety and picks up a first down that puts the Cardinals in field goal range. 

He also still has decent hands that allow him to adjust to throws and make difficult catches. 

This time we see Ertz aligned as the outside receiver to the right of the formation with the running back stacked behind him. Ertz runs a basic cross, getting to about 10 yards of depth before breaking inside towards the middle of the field. He does a nice job widening the defender with his initial path to create space inside for his break. Once he makes his break inside, you’ll see the quarterback deliver a low throw. The end zone replay angle shows just how well Ertz adjusts to get low and make a hands catch away from his body to secure the ball and pick up another nice gain. 

The subtlety with his route on that play is something else worth highlighting. Ertz is a veteran that understands how to attack leverage of defenders and create space for himself to work into. Washington saw this first hand last season.