The Philadelphia Eagles finally pulled the trigger on a long-speculated Zach Ertz trade on Friday, sending the veteran tight end to the Arizona Cardinals for CB Tay Gowan and a 2022 5th-round draft pick. As is standard after big moves, general manager Howie Roseman spoke to the media and explained the team’s motives for the move at this point in the season and what it means for the team and the roster moving forward. As is not quite as standard, Ertz also expressed his desire to speak with the Philadelphia media.
Ertz was emotional while discussing his time in Philadelphia and, despite originally being from California and going to college at Stanford, said that Philadelphia is “home” to him now:
“One of the things that kind of irked me the past couple days is when this was coming about and people started to know about it, well, you know you’re going back home, you’re going back to California, Julie’s home. This is home. Philadelphia is home.
He added that his Ertz Family Foundation will remain in Philadelphia and that “this isn’t going to be the last you’ll see of me here in this city.” Towards the end of the press conference, Ertz took it a step further. When asked about the timing of the trade and why he thought the move wasn’t made prior to the beginning of the season, Ertz trailed off at the end of his answer and began talking about being 11 catches shy of Harold Carmichael’s franchise record for receptions (emphasis added:
At the end of the day, we’re 11 catches away from the record but if you told me coming into the league that I would be second all-time possibly in this great organization’s history, that would have been an unbelievable achievement in my eyes. And who knows, maybe I’ll come back and get 12 catches and Harold (Carmichael) can go to No. 2. But I’ll let him have it for a few more years, I guess, maybe forever. It’s been fun.”
Ertz was obviously half-joking, but it’s interesting that he didn’t close the door on a potential twilight return to the Eagles. For all of the talk about Ertz’s strained relationship with Howie Roseman and the team, it sounds like there remains mutual respect and admiration. Such a reunion is probably unlikely, but it is nevertheless intriguing that Ertz would so openly discuss rejoining the Eagles at some point.
The YouTube video of Ertz’s discussion with the Philadephia media is embedded below.
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Mike Maher is the editor and publisher of The Birds Blitz and Juiced Ball Era. Follow him on Twitter @mikeMaher and @TheBirdsBlitz and check out his Eagles news archive for all of his latest stories about the Eagles and the NFL.
