The enduring image of Zach Ertz in his Washington commander’s uniform is sad. It was December 7, and the Commanders were defeated by the Vikings in Week 14. Ertz suffered a severe blow to his calf and fell to the ground for several minutes before being carted off the field.
The news is devastating. Ertz tore his ACL and his season was over. For Ertz, this was especially touching. Ertz, 35, is no doubt wondering if the injury means the end of his 13-year NFL career. How did Ertz respond? Even on crutches, Ertz returned to team meetings the next week to coach sophomore tight end Ben Sinnott.
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So what does the future hold for Ertz? He becomes a free agent in March, and after spending the past two seasons in Washington, his biggest supporter has left. The Commanders parted ways with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. The good news is that Washington promoted David Braff to offensive coordinator. Braff knows Ertz well, having played with him at Arizona and as a member of the Commander’s coaching staff the past two seasons.
Does Ertz still want to compete in 2026? After all, he may miss part of the 2026 season as he recovers from his injury. According to ESPN’s John Keim, at least one source said Ertz wants to continue playing.
While a league source told ESPN the 35-year-old hopes to continue playing, it’s likely not in Washington.
Here, we draw attention to general manager Adam Peters’ comments following the season. His goal for the Commander is to get younger and faster this offseason. This is not lip service from Peters. After playing with the NFL’s oldest roster last season, he understands the commanders lacked speed on both sides of the ball. This is not an attack on Ertz. Washington loves Ertz. Jayden Daniels loves Ertz. The same goes for Peters and head coach Dan Quinn. So did the rest of his teammates.
Ertz, like linebacker Bobby Wagner, helped establish Washington’s culture upon their arrival. This is what Quinn said about Ertz.
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“He means a lot to our team, on and off the field,” Quinn said. “He’s an ideal teammate to help set standards and habits, so we all feel bad for him. I think you probably saw that yesterday with everyone rallying around him.”
Ertz also excelled on the field for the Commanders, starting 30 games and recording 116 catches, 1,158 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Washington has three tight ends next season: John Bates, Ben Sinnott and Colson Yankoff. They all have specific roles, but none yet offer what Ertz does in the passing game, which means the Commanders will be looking to add a receiving tight end, likely in free agency.
This article originally appeared in Commanders Wire: Washington Commander: Zach Ertz Wants to Play in 2026?
