In what was anticipated for months, tight end Zach Ertz departed from the Philadelphia Eagles after featuring in nine seasons with the team. He was traded to the Arizona Cardinals on Friday in a deal that hauled the Eagles cornerback Tay Gowan and a 2022 fifth-round draft pick.
Ertz was in the rumor mill for months over a possible departure from the Eagles, especially as he is slated to become a free agent next year. During the offseason, he reportedly asked to be traded, and months later, the Eagles front office granted him this request following the team's 2-4 start to the season.
Longtime Eagles running back LeSean McCoy was a former teammate of Ertz’s in Philadelphia and was far from surprised with this move. As he noted to SiriusXM NFL Radio, there were several factors behind Ertz's desire to leave the team.
“I knew the time was coming,” McCoy said. “Talking to the guys down in Philadelphia, I was there, I retired an Eagle. And talking to the owners and the GM, I knew it was coming.
“He didn't like to share the role. That was one of his big concerns. He was very, very tight with Carson Wentz, that was like a big factor, and sharing the role was a big factor.”
Ertz notably shined under Wentz, and while McCoy did not get into the specifics on the claim that the new Cardinals talent did not like to “share the role,” he may have been hinting at the team's use of tight end Dallas Goedert. Over the Eagles' opening six games of the season, Ertz played in 231 snaps and recorded 18 receptions, while Goedert was also heavily featured in the offense with 224 snaps played and 15 receptions.
In the big picture, Ertz now joins a Cardinals team that bolsters the fourth-ranked scoring offense in the NFL with a 31.4 points per game average. McCoy believes Ertz has what it takes to flourish under quarterback Kyler Murray.
“You go from one of the worst teams in the NFL to now probably the best team in the NFL,” McCoy said. “And now, you go to an explosive offense, guys on the outside with an explosive quarterback.
“I look to see him have a big year, to finish off the year with a big year. They are going to put him in ways to win.”
As it stands, Ertz is set to make his Cardinals debut in the Week 7 matchup against the Houston Texans.
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