Dallas Goedert’s MCL sprain forces the Philadelphia Eagles to make an immediate tight-end decision: trust their available depth, sign another outside free agent, or bring Zach Ertz home. Goedert is expected to miss several weeks after suffering the injury during Sunday’s 24-20 victory over the Tennessee Titans. Johnny Mundt and E.J. Jenkins are the only healthy tight ends on Philadelphia’s active roster, while Josiah Deguara is available on the practice squad.
Mundt is a dependable blocker who played 49 offensive snaps against Tennessee, but he has never been a significant receiving threat. Jenkins remains largely unproven. Rookie Eli Stowers and Grant Calcaterra are on injured reserve and cannot return until at least Week 5. That makes Ertz
an obvious candidate. After the Eagles' 53-man roster cuts, Jimmy Kempski of Philly Voice asked Roseman whether the Eagles had spoken with Ertz or had interest in bringing the veteran back to Philadelphia.
“First, I’d say what an unbelievable player, what an unbelievable person, tremendous respect for him,” Roseman said. “At the same time, love what we have going in our tight end room, too.”
The former Eagle is a free agent and has been cleared for football activities after tearing his ACL last December. He caught 50 passes for 504 yards and four touchdowns in 13 starts for Washington last season. Philadelphia should bring Ertz in for a workout, but nostalgia cannot be the deciding factor. He turns 36 in November, and the Eagles must determine whether his knee allows him to separate, change direction, and contribute as a blocker.
If Ertz passes that evaluation (physical), the reunion makes sense. He understands the organization, knows Jalen Hurts and can provide a reliable target on third down and in the red zone.
The Eagles need someone who can stabilize the position until Goedert, Stowers, and Calcaterra return. Among the available options, a healthy Ertz could offer the strongest combination of experience, familiarity, and receiving ability.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Should Eagles bring Zach Ertz home after Dallas Goedert’s injury?
