RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesFormer Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz plans to play in 2026. That much we knew, as Ertz confirmed this offseason that he didn't want to end his career due to injury. Ertz tore his ACL in a December loss to the Minnesota Vikings . His contract ended at the conclusion of the 2025 season, making him a free agent.
" I don't want it to be the last play that I have," Ertz told Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer in April. "Even talking to people now, and they do it out of the goodness of their hearts, 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."
This week, Ertz revealed he is fully cleared and reiterated his desire to play in 2026. Ertz was at Stanford, his alma mater, working out with and catching passes from his college quarterback, Andrew Luck. Luck is the current general manager for Stanford football.
After tearing his ACL last season, three-time Pro Bowl TE Zach Ertz officially has been cleared for all football activities and wants to play this season. He was at Stanford today catching balls from his college QB, Andrew Luck. Ertz is expected to be ready to sign in mid-August.… pic.twitter.com/Oihgg6zFrd
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 5, 2026 Here's the video of Ertz and Luck working out.
Here is video, with Andrew Luck throwing passes to Zach Ertz https://t.co/M50EYr2pub pic.twitter.com/cojRylcL0C
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 5, 2026 Ertz, who turns 36 in November, spent the past two seasons with the Commanders, where he was the second-leading receiver. Ertz was a major contributor for Washington's surprising 12-5 campaign in 2024, catching 66 passes for 654 yards and seven touchdowns in 17 games. Last season, Ertz caught 50 passes for 504 yards and four touchdowns in 13 games.
Ertz was beloved by teammates and coaches in Washington, but a return is extremely unlikely. The Commanders signed Chig Okonkwo in free agency and Ben Sinnott, John Bates and Colson Yankoff all return in 2026.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Former Commanders TE Zach Ertz reveals promising injury update
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