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Zach Ertz suffered a brutal blow to his right knee, putting his career in doubt.
Zach Ertz is one of the best tight ends of the last decade in the NFL. He held his own against another legend at the position, Rob Gronkowski. While his best years were with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he won Super Bowl LII against the New England Patriots, he has continued to deliver strong performances. He has contributed his experience to the Washington Commanders.
Last season, the franchise reached the conference finals and came within a whisker of the Super Bowl, though the Eagles ultimately won the game and the Vince Lombardi Trophy. They hoped to replicate that success this season, but things haven’t gone as planned. With little chance of making the playoffs, they’re still trying to squeeze in, even if it means being one of the lowest seeds in the NFC.
However, their most recent game made it clear that all hope is lost. They faced the Minnesota Vikings, a rather weak team. But things went terribly wrong, as they were humiliated in a 31-0 defeat, one of their worst performances of the entire season. Both Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota had a terrible game, but the worst was yet to come for Ertz, whose career is now in doubt.
Zach Ertz on the verge of retirement
Near the end of the third quarter, safety Jay Ward delivered a brutal hit to Zach Ertz’s right knee with his shoulder and helmet. Although Ertz’s leg was in the air, the hit twisted it. The injury is gruesome and painful to watch, a clear case of unnecessary roughness, prompting calls for Ward to receive proper medical care. Ertz himself left the field in tears, and the worst was later confirmed by the Commanders: a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
These types of injuries typically require a recovery time of seven to nine months, but the high physical demands of Ertz’s position and his age, 35, make retirement seem more likely than a return to the NFL. It’s still too early to make such a drastic decision, but time is against him, and his 13 seasons in the world’s most demanding league in this sport make the odds stacked against him.
