The Washington Commanders fought hard in Week 1, but ultimately fell short against the Philadelphia Eagles.
It was a tough loss, but there were encouraging signs. Jayden Daniels looks healthy, and the wide receiver trio of Stefon Diggs, Antonio Williams, and Terry McLaurin should be very good in 2026. Speaking of pass-catchers, though, some bad news came out of Week 1.
Tight end Chig Okonkwo, who was added this offseason, had to leave the game in the third quarter with a hamstring injury. Before that, Okonkwo had two catches for 16 yards. It would have been nice to have Okonkwo in for the two-point attempt at the end of the game instead of John Bates.
Okonkwo couldn’t practice on Wednesday or Thursday, so he may not play in Week 2. If so, the team
could look outside for a short-term solution, and luckily, there’s a free agent who's very familiar with the team.
Commanders could bring Zach Ertz back
Alex Kay of Bleacher Report recently identified realistic landing spots for the top remaining free agents. For tight end Zach Ertz, Kay thinks a reunion with the Commanders makes more sense than ever.
“Rather than enter a pivotal Week 2 clash against the Dallas Cowboys with an underwhelming tight end situation, it would behoove the Commanders to reunite with former starter Zach Ertz,” Kay said. “Although the 13-year veteran remains unsigned, he could still provide a major boost to this offense without needing much time to get brought up to speed.”
If Okonkwo can’t go, the team will have to rely on block-first John Bates and Ben Sinnott. Neither option provides much as a pass-catcher, so Ertz would fill an obvious hole.
"Although he doesn’t have much tread left on his tires at the age of 35, Ertz still profiles as a far better Okonkwo replacement than any of the current members of Washington’s roster,” Kay added.
In 2025, Ertz played in 13 games for the Commanders and caught 50 passes for 504 yards and four scores. The veteran suffered a season-ending injury in December, but if he's healthy, he can still help a team out. Ertz has plenty of chemistry with Jayden Daniels, so the reunion makes sense on a number of levels.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders urged to reunite with 30-game starter ahead of Week 2
