Negotiations for a contract extension between the Philadelphia Eagles and star tight end Zach Ertz appear to be slowing down after the NFC East club reportedly offered the Super Bowl champion less money than Cleveland Browns pass-catcher Austin Hooper, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
Sources: Negotiations between the #Eagles and TE Zach Ertz came to an abrupt halt when PHI made an offer that had less guaranteed money than their offer in November. The backloaded offer also had less cash over the next 4 seasons annually than Austin Hooper’s #Browns contract.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 3, 2020
Ertz, 29, has been Eagles franchise quarterback Carson Wentz's top receiving target for the last several years and a key cog in the offense for head coach Doug Pederson, an offense that won Super Bowl LII.
Originally selected in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft out of Stanford, Ertz has emerged as a three-time Pro Bowl tight end in the last three consecutive seasons, maintaining a steady presence in the receiving game even as injuries have plagued Wentz. Further, in the last three years Ertz has registered a total of 2,903 receiving yards on 278 catches for 22 touchdowns.
The seven-year vet is known as one of the best three or four tight ends, a group distinguished with a recent rash of offseason long-term deals handed to Hooper, Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce, and San Francisco 49ers' George Kittle.
According to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, while the Eagles and Ertz may be at a momentary impasse, there is still plenty of time to work out a long-term deal between the two sides, as the tight has two years left on his current contract.
The Travis Kelce effect. Well, it looks like the #Eagles and Zach Ertz will be done talking for a while. Ertz has two years left on his deal and we’ll see where it goes from here. https://t.co/jc8ujBLwO8
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) September 3, 2020
Ertz is seeking to be one of the higher paid tight ends in the NFL, and apparently “Austin Hooper money” isn't cutting it. Hopefully the divide in financial terms doesn't hurt Ertz's relationship with the franchise ahead of the 2020 season, as Wentz and the Eagles are relying on the star pass-catching again.