When the Commanders‘ playoff run crashed against the Eagles in last season’s NFC Championship, Zach Ertz felt the loss more personally than most. He’d spent nearly a decade in Philly. He won a Super Bowl. And he built his reputation as one of the NFL’s most reliable tight ends. But facing his old team in a do-or-die clash only underscored a nagging question: was he still capable of being the difference-maker he prided himself on?
In the days after, Ertz was asked about retirement and didn’t hesitate. He told reporters, “I’m not retiring just because I had so much fun this year. I feel rejuvenated. I feel young. I played good football this year, so for me it’s figuring out everything going forward, and they know how I feel about this place.” The writing was on the wall. The veteran Super Bowl-winning tight end was returning for his 13th season in the NFL.
But now that the 2025 season is at the doorstep, the 34-year-old tight end drew a hard line for himself. He laid out his retirement plan simply. If he couldn’t impact games the way he once did, he wouldn’t stick around. “I’m not just going to be out there if I can’t impact the game,” Ertz told Doug Farrar of SB Nation. “But I don’t do this just to say I’m going to play fourteen, fifteen, sixteen years, I’m going to be out there if I can make a difference. If I can’t do that, then I’ll be done.”
Zach Ertz on how he was able to have quite the comeback year in his 12th NFL season, and how he’s ready to do it again in Year 13. pic.twitter.com/YXyfBnJDKp
— Doug Farrar (@NFL_DougFarrar) July 13, 2025
Following a nearly decade-long stint with the Eagles and a few seasons with the Cardinals, Ertz found his steps in Washington. The veteran tight end started every game of the season. He grabbed 66 receptions for 654 yards, becoming one of Jayden Daniels‘ reliable targets. In Washington’s 55-23 loss to Philly, the 34-year-old piled up season highs of 11 receptions and 104 yards. Meanwhile, he ranked third for the most red zone passes with 13 receptions among the tight ends.
Safe to say that Ertz immediately became Washington’s most experienced and accomplished tight end since Jordan Reed. “I don’t want to say I proved I was the same player, but I kind of did,” Ertz said after the Eagles’ loss. “I didn’t play as much as I did when I was 28 as far as play time percentage, but I feel the impact I had when I was out there was similar.” The man re-signed with the Commanders on a one-year, $6.25 million contract extension earlier this year.
And it’s safe to say Zach Ertz is heading into 2025 determined to prove he can still make a difference—one more time. “So, for me, I’m trying to do everything I can to be at my best for this team this year,” the tight end added. However, Ertz pointed out that the Commanders are not taking last season’s success for granted.
Zach Ertz shed light on the reality behind the Commanders’ success
The Commanders love talking about “Winning Moments.” And let’s be honest—it makes sense. Dan Quinn and Co. won eight more games in the 2024 season than the year before. But they won five games on the last play of the game, especially the final few games of their season. Think about this—three out of their five straight wins to wrap up the regular season occurred on the last play from scrimmage. The postseason? Even dramatic.
During the wild-card round matchup against Tampa Bay, Zane Gonzalez hit a 37-yard field goal to secure a 23-20 win over the Bucs. Thus, breaking their 19-year postseason win drought. So, when Zach Ertz was asked, “What do you expect from this season? The tight end left it in neon lights that the Commanders are hopefully not taking last season’s success for granted.
“If I’m being honest, I think I expect this is gonna sound cliche,” he said. “This is gonna sound the old veteran answer. But I expect us to hopefully not to put any stock into our success last year. The reality of the situation is we won four or five-six games on literally the last play of the game.” Beyond the final stretch of the regular season, the Commanders also snatched a Week 8 victory over the Bears on a 52-yard Hail Mary as time expired.
And back in Week 2, they edged out the Giants with a last-second field goal to seal the win. That’s five out of their 12 wins. Not to mention their nail-biting win over the Bucs in the wild-card round. “I felt like I was in a Bounty commercial where the cup spills. And, like, ‘nooooo!” the head coach joked after the 37-yard field goal to beat Tampa Bay.
“And as it hit and went through, I just paused and probably skipped a beat, but that’s the emotion where it was at. We put it on the left and was thankful to knock it through. But it was definitely a long 8-9 second field goal.” Jayden Daniels, Zach Ertz, and Coach Quinn are all back for Year Two in Washington. And one thing’s clear: nobody in that locker room is confusing last season’s thrilling escapes for guarantees. In 2025, the Commanders know they’ll have to earn every inch all over again.
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