Eagles tight end Zach Ertz left Sunday’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens with what was eventually revealed to be a high-ankle sprain. Earlier this week, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported that Ertz was expected to miss approximately 3-to-4 weeks with the injury.
Apparently, he may be out longer than that.
On Thursday morning, NFL insider Mike Garafolo reported on NFL Network that Ertz has a “firm” timetable of 4-to-6 weeks.
Based on that timetable, these are the games that Ertz will miss:
- Week 7: vs. New York Giants
- Week 8: vs. Dallas Cowboys
- Week 9: BYE WEEK
- Week 10: at New York Giants
And these are the next few games that Ertz could miss, depending on how his recovery goes:
- Week 11: at Cleveland Browns
- Week 12: vs. Seattle Seahawks
Other than probably the Seahawks, those are all winnable games if the Eagles start to turn things around. Of course, winning those games without their Pro Bowl tight end makes things that much harder.
Ertz has not played well this season, and his desire for a new contract and frustration with the team’s front office is well documented. But he is still someone that other teams have to pay attention to and gameplan for, and he creates options for Doug Pederson.
Dallas Goedert is expected back as early as next week against the Cowboys or after the bye week against the Giants. That will be huge, and there are many who believe the younger Goedert is the tight end of the future in Philadelphia and is ready to become TE1 even when Ertz is healthy.
UPDATE: Goedert is reportedly on track to return in Week 10, after the Week 9 bye.
But if this team is going to compete, it needs a healthy Ertz to pair with Goedert, Jalen Reagor, DeSean Jackson, Travis Fulgham, Miles Sanders, Alshon Jeffery, Greg Ward, and John Hightower (and no, I didn’t forget J.J. Arcega-Whiteside).
After a slow rough start to the season, Carson Wentz has been playing well and keeping the Eagles in games almost by himself. And he has been doing so by throwing to the likes of Travis Fulgham, a waiver-wire addition in August who has turned into Wentz’s favorite target.
But he will have to wait at least a month before he has all or most of his weapons back.
