Zach Ertz Cleared for Football Activities, Wants to Play in 2026
Former Eagles, Cardinals, and Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz (knee) has been cleared for football activities and wants to play in the 2026 season, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Ertz suffered a torn ACL in his right knee during Week 14 last season, marking his second ACL tear. He was seen catching passes from former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck at Stanford, where they played together in 2010 and 2011. If Ertz suits up for the 2026 season, he will be 36 years old, in his 14th NFL season, and coming off a late-season ACL injury that looked gruesome. Fantasy managers should lower expectations for the veteran tight end. While we're unclear about any exact landing spots for Ertz in 2026, wherever he goes will have fantasy implications that affect fantasy drafts this season.
Veteran free-agent tight end Zach Ertz (knee), who remains unsigned with training camp quickly approaching next month, said on the New Heights podcast that he continues to work towards being 100% healthy for the 2026 season, according to Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. "We're in a good spot. We're like five, almost six months now from surgery," Ertz said. "Just training every day, doing everything I can to get back to where I was. It's a long process. There's some long days, there's some long weeks, some long months . . . it's tough, but we're just trying to stack these days right now." In his 13th year in the NFL last season with the Washington Commanders, the 35-year-old caught 50 of his 72 targets for 504 yards and four touchdowns in 13 starts before suffering a season-ending torn ACL in Week 14. Because of the timing of the injury and his age, Ertz is not guaranteed to be ready for the start of the 2026 season, which is certainly why he's still a free agent. A team could take a chance on the three-time Pro Bowler before the start of the upcoming season if he proves he's fully healthy, but for right now, Ertz is off the fantasy radar.
With NFL teams now in their summer break between minicamp and training camp, three-time Pro Bowl tight end Zach Ertz remains a free agent. The 13-year veteran was enjoying another solid campaign with the Commanders in 2025 before tearing his ACL in early December. Assuming a standard nine-month recovery timeline, he could be ready to return to action for the start of the 2026 season, but at 35 years old, teams might be rightfully hesitant to make a financial commitment at this time. Ertz is on record as recently as April that he intends to return for his 14th season, but it may require a training camp or early-season injury before a landing spot becomes known. In a league trending loudly toward more heavy personnel usage, a team could benefit greatly from Ertz's services, with the crafty route runner racking up 825 career receptions, including a then-tight end record 116 in 2018. Prior to his injury in 2025, Ertz was the fantasy TE20, and he remains a dynasty hold who can likely still make a usable contribution if given another chance.
Zach Ertz Could Still Contribute in Dynasty Leagues
Free agent tight end Zach Ertz remains unsigned as most teams around the league gather for organized offseason workouts, but he has gone on record that he intends to return for 2026. Ertz suffered a devastating ACL tear in a Week 14 loss to the Vikings, but he is determined not to have that be the final play of his career. The 35-year-old three-time Pro Bowler was playing well before the injury, on a 17-game pace of 69 catches for 698 yards after his first season in Washington ended with 654 yards and seven touchdowns. A nine-month recovery timeline would put Ertz in line to return to action for the start of the 2026 season, and depending on where he lands, he could still carve out a fantasy-relevant role as the NFL shifts to a new normal of having multiple tight ends on the field at once. At RotoBaller's dynasty TE44, he's a practically forgotten-about trade target who could add depth for contending managers.
Three-time Pro Bowl tight end Zach Ertz (knee) plans to return in 2026 for a 14th NFL season and is expected to be cleared right around Week 1, sources told Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. Ertz, who will be a free agent next month, is two months into rehab from a torn ACL. The 35-year-old veteran ranks fifth in catches and eighth in yards among tight ends in NFL history, including 50 catches for 504 yards and four touchdowns in 13 games last before before suffering his season-ending knee injury in Week 14 against the Minnesota Vikings on Dec. 7. Given his age and uncertainty about whether he'll actually be 100% ready to play in the season opener this fall, Ertz's fantasy stock will drop considerably going into the 2026 season. In his first year in Washington in 2024, Ertz had a 66-654-7 line in 17 games played.
Washington Commanders impending free agent tight end Zach Ertz (knee) may be 36 years old, but he has continued to be a productive pass-catching weapon on the offensive side of the ball. Ertz had 50 catches for 504 yards and four touchdowns across 13 games, ranking as the overall TE19 in PPR leagues. He has 11 touchdowns over the last two seasons, averaging 10.1 fantasy points per game during that span. His final stat line from 2025 is even more impressive when you remember the quarterback situation he was dealt. Jayden Daniels missed plenty of time due to injury, so Ertz found himself catching passes from Marcus Mariota. He was shut down for the season by the time Josh Johnson earned any quarterback snaps, though. Ertz tore his ACL in Week 14, leaving plenty of question marks about his availability for 2026. Furthermore, he's a free agent this offseason, so we don't even know if he'll end up back in Washington. It's quite possible that a team with an established, young No. 1 tight end signs Ertz, allowing him to recover before filling a depth role. That'd be a rough scenario for fantasy managers, so selling high on him in dynasty leagues might be the right choice this offseason.
NFL Insider Ian Rapoport reported that Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz (knee) has officially been placed on the Injured Reserve on Wednesday with a knee injury. Ertz will miss the remainder of the 2025 season after suffering an ACL tear during Washington's 31-0 loss to the Vikings in Week 14. The hit looked brutal, and emotions were high as the Commanders saw him get carted off the field. At 35 years old, we will see what the future holds for the 2018 Super Bowl Winner and three-time Pro Bowler, Ertz. On the season, he had 50 catches for 504 yards and four touchdowns (72 targets) across 13 regular-season appearances. Second-year player out of Kansas State, Ben Sinnott, is likely to step into a larger role with Ertz being done for the season, and should be on the fantasy radar in deeper formats.
An MRI exam on Monday confirmed that Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz (knee) suffered a season-ending torn ACL in the Week 14 shutout loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. It's tough news for the 35-year-old veteran, who will finish his 13th year in the NFL with 50 receptions on 72 targets for 504 yards and four touchdowns in 13 starts in his second year with the Commanders. Fantasy managers can safely drop Ertz now. Ben Sinnott will be the best bet for most of the targets as the team's top pass-catching TE with Ertz done for the year, although he will be sharing snaps with John Bates and Colson Yankoff. At best, Sinnott will be a low-end TE2 streamer for fantasy managers in deeper leagues in Week 15 when Washington battles the division-rival New York Giants on the road.
Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz (knee) is feared to have torn his ACL during Sunday's Week 14 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, according to head coach Dan Quinn. Ertz exited during the second half of the 31-0 defeat and was visibly emotional while being carted to the locker room. Washington is now 3-10 and will miss the playoffs, but the loss will be felt nonetheless, especially given how Ertz's veteran presence impacted the team both on and off the field. If his season-ending injury is confirmed, Ben Sinnott will step up as the Commanders' No. 1 tight end for the rest of the year.
Zach Ertz Ruled Out Sunday With Serious Knee Injury
Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz (knee) exited during the third quarter of Sunday's Week 14 contest against the Minnesota Vikings. He was carted off the field and quickly ruled out. The veteran tight end finished the game with two targets, one catch, and 11 receiving yards. Ertz was emotional while being carted to the locker room, and there appears to be concern that he suffered a serious injury. We'll likely know more about his injury and status as he undergoes additional testing in the aftermath of Sunday's 31-0 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Ben Sinnott will step up as the Commanders' top tight end in his absence.
