In December, the Washington Commanders suffered a 31-0 shutout loss to the Minnesota Vikings, but that was not their only big loss in that game, as tight end Zach Ertz suffered a season-ending ACL tear on his right knee. He had been one of the few highlights for the Commanders that season, and he had to end it early due to injury.
ACL tears usually take months to repair, even with surgery. This meant that the star TE would be on the shelf for months and would still be hurt during the offseason. The question now is, will he be back for the 2026 season, or is his career already done?
According to NFL insider Tom Pelissero, as far as Ertz himself is concerned, he is not done yet. He revealed that the veteran TE is expected to be cleared around Week 1, which would be a welcome development for his fans. Should he be able to return, this would be the 14th season for Zach Ertz’s storied career.
Pelissero also posted videos of Ertz already working out and readying for his return. While he has been lifting weights, that does not mean that his knee has fully healed. He still needs to be medically cleared, and the team needs to be certain that he can start playing again without reaggravating his torn ACL. Whether he is returning with the Washington Commanders or another team is another issue entirely.
Will Zach Ertz Return To Play For the Washington Commanders?
Zach Ertz has been very good for the Washington Commanders, but right now, he is already an unrestricted free agent, which means that he could walk away and go to another team. However, he still has an option to return to play for Washington, but will he? According to insiders, no, he will not.
Last season, he surpassed Shannon Sharpe to become No. 5 in all-time receptions for tight ends, so at 35 years old, he could still do it. This makes him a high-value veteran target for a lot of NFL teams out there, so it is likely that he would be looking for better options.
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