Zach Ertz wants to play another season; should Washington re-sign him?

Zach Ertz has been the Washington Commanders TE1 since signing with them in 2024. He has led the position group in receiving, yards, and scoring, and has been a great veteran presence in the locker room for the last two seasons. Ertz suffered an ugly looking ACL tear when he had his legs taken out while mid-air against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 14, leading to speculation that he could hang up the cleats after his 13th NFL season.

Tom Pelissero reports from the NFL Scouting Combine that not only does Ertz plan on playing another season, he expects to be cleared right around Week 1. He has been rehabbing, and preparing for his return to the field. The question now is where will he play as he once again prepares for free agency after playing on a 1-year, $6.25 million deal that was worth up to $9 million with incentives.

The Commanders brought Ertz back last year after not making any significant upgrades to their tight end room. John Bates has been the number 2, blocking tight end, and will remain in that role for another season. Ben Sinnott was a second-round pick during GM Adam Peters’ first draft class, but hasn’t turned into the weapon that was envisioned on draft day. Colson Yankoff remains the jack of all trades, special at special teams player that got him signed after the 2024 draft. Everyone else the team brought in last year was either cut, or stashed on the practice squad for a rainy day.

Washington had the oldest team in the league last year, and Adam Peters will look to get away from that distinction, while still filling a roster that has over 30 pending free agents. Some people are still holding out hope for Sinnott to step into a bigger role, but his production didn’t rise significantly with Ertz out. The Commanders have plenty of cap space heading into free agency if they want to replace Ertz with a younger TE like the Ravens’ Isaiah Likely. They also have six picks in April’s draft, with the potential to add more through trades.

If Ertz is ready to go by Week 1(ish), should Washington bring back one of Jayden Daniels’ most reliable receiving options. Or is it time to move on, especially with a player coming back from a major injury?