Zach Ertz is reportedly returning to the Philadelphia Eagles, bringing one of the most productive tight ends in franchise history back to the team after Dallas Goedert suffered a knee injury.
NFL Media and Reuters reported Monday that Philadelphia is signing Ertz to its practice squad. The Eagles have not yet announced the move, so the reunion remains reported rather than official.
A familiar answer to an immediate need
Goedert suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament during Sunday's victory over Tennessee and is expected to miss time. Rookie Eli Stowers is also on injured reserve with a hamstring injury, leaving Philadelphia short on established options at the position.
Ertz is expected to begin on the practice squad with an opportunity to move to the active roster. Philadelphia visits the Chicago Bears in Week 3 on Monday night.
The 35 year old has been cleared for football activity after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee while playing for Washington last December. He recorded 50 catches for 504 yards and four touchdowns in 13 games during the 2025 season.
A Philadelphia legacy resumes
The Eagles selected Ertz in the second round of the 2013 draft. He earned three Pro Bowl selections during his first run with the franchise and helped Philadelphia win its first Super Bowl championship.
Ertz caught the go ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LII against New England. He later left Philadelphia in a 2021 trade to Arizona before spending the past two seasons with Washington.
The reunion also creates the possibility of franchise history. Ertz has 579 receptions as an Eagle, leaving him 11 catches from passing Harold Carmichael's team record of 589.
Philadelphia is asking Ertz to provide depth first, but his familiarity with the organization and record chase give the move significance beyond a typical practice squad signing.
*Featured image: Zach Ertz during a Philadelphia Eagles game in 2017, photographed by Keith Allison. Licensed under [Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike 2.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/).*