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Zach Ertz fantasy football news and podcast insights

Source-backed player signal from monitored fantasy football podcasts, shows, videos, articles, and social posts.

TE29 insightsLatest Aug 1, 2026

9

Positive signals

7

Negative signals

10

Sources

Aug 1, 2026

Latest update

PositiveProjectionAug 1, 2026NFL.com News

Ertz doesn't want his final career play to be tearing his ACL in 2025 and is set for his 14th NFL season with expectancy of being cleared around the start of the 2026 campaign. Last season, Tommy Tremble and Ja'Tavion Sanders combined for 56 catches in Carolina; Ertz had 50 catches for Washington in 13 games. Providing Bryce Young with a trusty veteran tight end in a pivotal campaign would be a boon for his confidence and maturation and likely the same for a very young receiving corps.

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NegativeRoleJul 31, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Under former offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, Ertz was predictably deployed in the tight end role, working the short to intermediate area of the field in a 'post-up' fashion with infrequent designed routes for run-after-catch opportunities such as shallow crossers or over routes; this predictability allowed defenses to key on him.

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NegativeDepth ChartJul 26, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

The tight end was jettisoned by the Commanders after the all-in experiment in 2025 didn't work, leaving him unsigned.

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NegativeDepth ChartJul 26, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

The 30-something tight end was jettisoned by the Commanders after the all-in experiment in 2025 didn't work and remains unsigned.

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NegativeInjuryJul 25, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Ertz tore his ACL a week before Mahomes' injury and engaged in a rehab competition with Mahomes. The two tracked their progress through deadlift strength, jumping, acceleration drills, and cutting work, sending videos to each other weekly to maintain competitive drive throughout the long recovery process.

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NegativeInjuryJul 25, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Ertz tore his ACL a week before Mahomes' Dec. 14 injury, putting both on similar rehab timelines. Mahomes and Ertz turned their recovery into a competitive process, exchanging videos and comparing progress on deadlifts, jumping, acceleration drills, and cutting work to maintain motivation through the long rehabilitation.

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NegativeInjuryJul 25, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Ertz tore his ACL a week before Mahomes' injury and became a rehab competition partner with Mahomes. The two exchanged progress updates through videos, competing on deadlift strength, jumping, acceleration drills, and cutting work to maintain motivation and competitive drive throughout the lengthy recovery process.

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NegativeInjuryJul 25, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Ertz tore his ACL a week before Mahomes' injury in December 2025. Mahomes consulted with the veteran tight end during rehab, and their conversations evolved into a competitive rehab partnership where they tracked deadlift progress, shared videos of jumping and acceleration work, and competed on cutting drills to maintain motivation through the long recovery process.

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NegativeInjuryJul 25, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Ertz tore his ACL a week before Mahomes' injury and engaged in a rehab competition with Mahomes, comparing deadlift progress, jumping ability, acceleration work, and cutting drills via video exchanges. Mahomes credited this competitive dynamic with helping him maintain motivation through the long recovery process.

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NegativeInjuryJul 25, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Ertz, a free agent tight end, suffered a torn ACL a week before Mahomes' injury while playing with the Commanders. He has been rehabbing competitively with Mahomes, comparing deadlift strength and exchanging videos of explosion drills (box jumps) and cutting ability. Mahomes credited this competitive dynamic with maintaining motivation during a lengthy recovery process.

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NegativeInjuryJul 25, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Ertz, a free agent tight end, suffered a torn ACL a week before Mahomes was injured while playing with the Commanders. He was once coached by Mahomes' college coach Kliff Kingsbury. Mahomes and Ertz have struck a supportive bond during their respective rehabs, engaging in competitions comparing deadlifts and exchanging videos of explosion drills (box jumps) and cutting drills to maintain competitive drive and combat the loneliness of individual rehab work.

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NegativeInjuryJul 25, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Ertz tore his ACL a week before Mahomes' injury and became a rehab competition partner for Mahomes. They tracked their recovery progress through competitions involving deadlift strength, jumping, acceleration drills, and cutting work, with Mahomes and Ertz sending videos to each other to maintain competitive drive during the long rehabilitation process.

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PositiveInjuryJul 24, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Ertz suffered a torn ACL in Week 14 of the previous season after taking a hit to his right knee. This was his second straight season with at least 50 receptions prematurely ended by injury. His loss as Jayden Daniels' most comfortable go-to short-area target was stark over the last four weeks of the season.

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NegativeRoleJul 22, 2026Hogs Haven

Zach Ertz remains on the Commanders roster but younger tight end Chig Okonkwo has been brought in as a reinforcement. New offensive coordinator David Blough will emphasize getting tight ends involved in his scheme.

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NegativeRoleJul 21, 2026ESPN Fantasy Football

Ertz is gone from Washington after receiving 91 targets from Jayden Daniels in 2024, leading to 66 receptions, 654 yards and seven TDs; those vacated targets are now available for David Njoku to inherit.

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NegativeDepth ChartJul 21, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Tight end Zach Ertz finished second in targets, receptions, and receiving touchdowns for the Commanders but is no longer on the roster, creating a void at the tight end position that the team will need to fill with new options like Chig Okonkwo.

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NegativeRoleJul 21, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Tight end Zach Ertz finished second in targets, receptions, and receiving touchdowns for the Commanders in 2025 but is no longer on the roster. His departure, along with Deebo Samuel's, leaves the Commanders with significant receiving depth issues heading into 2026.

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NegativeRoleJul 21, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Tight end Zach Ertz finished second on the 2025 Commanders in targets, receptions, and receiving touchdowns but is no longer on the roster heading into 2026, further depleting the team's receiving options behind Terry McLaurin.

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NegativeDepth ChartJul 21, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Zach Ertz finished second in targets, receptions, and receiving touchdowns for the Commanders but is no longer on the roster, creating a void in the tight end position that the team must fill with new options.

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NegativeRoleJul 21, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Tight end Zach Ertz finished second on the Commanders in targets, receptions, and receiving touchdowns in 2025 but is no longer on the roster, leaving a gap in the passing game alongside the departure of Deebo Samuel.

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PositiveRoleJul 19, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Ertz remains part of the Commanders' tight end room alongside newly acquired younger reinforcement Chig Okonkwo in a restructured offense emphasizing tight end involvement.

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PositiveRoleJul 13, 2026Matt Waldman

Ertz has been very successful in Washington and holds the tight end role that Okonkwo is competing for.

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PositiveRoleJul 11, 2026Fantasy Points Fantasy Football

Key target in critical Super Bowl LII scoring drive; Paganetti describes a fourth-and-one conversion play in the fourth quarter where the Eagles ran a mesh route and hit Ertz, leading to a touchdown drive that was crucial in the game's outcome.

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PositiveRoleJul 11, 2026Fantasy Points Fantasy Football

Zach Ertz was the target on a critical fourth and one mesh route play in the Super Bowl that resulted in a touchdown drive, highlighting his importance in clutch offensive situations.

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PositiveDepth ChartJun 25, 2026FantasyPros Articles

Ertz has departed Washington, opening up some target share but not enough to significantly increase Terry McLaurin's receiving volume.

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PositiveProjectionJun 24, 2026Fantasy Life Articles

At age 35 in 2025, Ertz was heavily involved in Washington's offense with 79% routes (10th), 20% TPRR (13th), 21% target share (5th), and averaged the 11th-most PPR PPG.

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NegativeDepth ChartJun 4, 2026Mattek Fantasy Football

Ertz is 36 years old and coming back from a torn ACL. Bieniemy does not expect the Commanders to re-sign him, and even if they do, his age and injury status make him unlikely to be a significant factor in the tight end rotation, clearing the path for Chigoziem Okonkwo.

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NegativeProjectionMay 9, 2026Legendary Upside

Historical tight end production reference; Ertz was at 14.4 PPR points per game and finished tight end four. This production tier is part of the small group of tight ends who actually matter, which is the bar for Fannin's upside.

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PositiveValueMar 28, 2026Legendary Upside

Late-round tight end drafted in a zero-running-back team strategy.

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