The Washington Commanders’ skyrocket season came to a close in Sunday’s NFC Championship loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, but tight end Zach Ertz’s career did not.
Ertz, 34, stated he’s not ready to call it on his 13-year NFL career just yet.
“I just want to make that clear—that I’m not retiring,” Ertz told reporters Monday. “I had so much fun this year. I feel rejuvenated. I feel young. This is the most amount of games I’ve played in a season at 34 and I felt like I played good football this year. So, for me, it’s just figuring out everything going forward. And they know how I feel about this place.”
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While the Commanders just made the NFC Championship game for the first time since 1991, the Super Bowl champion and three-time Pro Bowl selection had a bit of a renaissance season himself.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – JANUARY 26: Zach Ertz #86 of the Washington Commanders waves as he walks off the field after a 55-23 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles during the NFC Championship Game at Lincoln Financial Field on January 26, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Ertz posted seven touchdowns, which is the second-most in a season throughout his career while tallying 654 yards in all 17 regular season games.
“I think just being able to be here with the group of guys, the people, the quarterback, Kliff [Kingsbury], DQ [Dan Quinn], has just really allowed me to enjoy every single day,” Ertz said to NBC 4 Washington. “A lot of time when you’re in a tough spot, the weight of just everything is heavy. And so this year just felt freeing, to just go out there and just being able to be myself every day — people that built me up in a way that they believe in me, they have confidence in me to go do what I do.”
Ertz signed a one-year contract with Washington last offseason, so it remains unclear whether he will return to the Commanders to build on their 12-5 record.
“Obviously, playing with Jayden [Daniels] was extremely fun,” Ertz said. “It was a one-year [deal] so far, but I feel like we’re just scratching the surface as a quarterback and tight end combination.”
Ertz caught a season-high 11 catches for 104 yards in the 55-23 defeat to his former team on Sunday. The Eagles, who are headed to their third Super Bowl appearance in seven years, drafted Ertz in 2013 and fostered him into being one of the league’s elite tight ends throughout his eight-plus seasons in Philadelphia.
There were questions about his decline after he struggled through injuries with the Arizona Cardinals and only played seven games in 2023, but after establishing a chemistry with Jayden Daniels, Ertz proved in 2024 that he still has competitive football left in the tank.
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