Zach Ertz says he’s not done. One day after the Washington Commanders lost to the Philadelphia Eagles, ending their dream season in the NFC championship, players were in Ashburn to clean out lockers. And the 34-year-old tight end made it clear he’s ready for next season.
“I think just being able to be here with the group of guys, the people, the quarterback, Kliff (Kingsbury), DQ (Dan Quinn), it just really allowed me enjoy it, every single day, a lot of times when you’re in a tough spot, the weight of just everything is heavy,” Ertz said. “So this year felt freeing to just go out there and just be myself every day. People that build me up in a way that they believe in me, they have confidence in me to go do what I do.”
After Sunday’s game, Ertz praised rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, saying he wished he was 22 so he could play with Daniels for years to come. He continued to praise Daniels on Monday.
“Obviously, playing with Jayden was extremely fun, you know,” Ertz said. “It was one year so far, but I feel like we’re scratching the surface as a quarterback and tight end combination.”
This led Ertz to talk about his future.
“I don’t know what the future holds; I still wanna play football next year, I just want to make that clear that I’m not retiring,” he said with a smile. “Just because I had so much fun this year. I feel rejuvenated; I feel young. It’s 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.”
Zach Ertz, not retiring, per Zach Ertz@JPFinlayNBCS #RaiseHail #Commanders pic.twitter.com/fR9oRrALrX
— NBC4 Sports (@NBC4Sports) January 27, 2025
One day ago, you wondered if Ertz’s locker-room session was him saying goodbye. But the veteran tight end made it clear Monday that he plans to play next year, and he’d prefer to be back in Washington with Daniels, Kingsbury, and Quinn.
Of Washington’s top three tight ends, two are free agents. Ertz and John Bates are unrestricted free agents, while rookie Ben Sinnott could have an expanded role next season.
Ertz started all 17 games for the Commanders in 2024, recording 66 catches for 654 yards and seven touchdowns. In the NFC championship, Ertz had 11 receptions for 104 yards.