PHILADELPHIA — One of the most beloved Eagles players in recent memory won’t be ending his career in midnight green.
The Eagles traded three-time Pro Bowl tight end Zach Ertz to the Arizona Cardinals on Friday for cornerback Tay Gowan and a 2022 fifth-round pick, the team announced. The rest of Ertz’s $8.5 million salary will come off the Eagles’ books and open up $4.22 million in cap space, according to Over The Cap.
Ertz caught a touchdown pass from quarterback Jalen Hurts during the Eagles’ 28-22 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Lincoln Financial Field on Thursday. Ertz finished his final six-game stretch with the Eagles with 18 catches for 189 yards and two touchdowns.
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With Ertz headed to the desert, the Eagles will move forward with Dallas Goedert as their top tight end. The Eagles have focused more on 11 personnel (1 RB, 1 TE, 3 WRs) under Nick Sirianni than they did with Doug Pederson. That led to Goedert and Ertz sharing playing time when there wasn’t a two-tight end play during the first five games of the season. Goedert missed Thursday’s game against the Buccaneers on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Goedert is likely to take on a massive portion of the tight end snaps, with undrafted rookie Jack Stoll providing support in two-tight end sets. The Eagles also have Noah Togiai, who played under Sirianni and tight ends coach Jason Michael in Indianapolis last season.
The Eagles are also monitoring the health of summer standout Tyree Jackson, who made the successful transition from quarterback to tight end in training camp. Jackson broke a bone in his back during camp, and he has been shelved ever since. He is eligible to return from injured reserve as soon as he receives clearance from the medical staff.
With less emphasis on the tight end position, Sirianni can focus his play-calling on wide receivers DeVonta Smith, Jalen Reagor and Quez Watkins. While Goedert will obviously be a huge part of the offense, it’s clear that Sirianni wants to focus on the boundaries in the passing game. Hurts also tends to focus on the outside as a passer.
While Ertz’s departure will open things up for the young playmakers on the depth chart, his legacy, leadership and overall presence were important to the organization and the locker room.
The Eagles will now be without the top offensive weapon of the Pederson era and the receiver who made the game-winning touchdown catch in Super Bowl LII.
Ertz set the NFL record for receptions by a tight end (116) in 2018, and he is the last Eagles playmaker to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards (1,163 in 2018). Ertz’s 38 career receiving touchdowns rank seventh all-time in franchise history. The 2013 second-round pick also ranks second in franchise history in career catches (579) and fifth in receiving yards (6,267).
Along with Irving Fryar, Ertz is one of only two receivers in Eagles history to have 85 or more catches in multiple seasons. The nine-year veteran also owns the franchise record for most catches in a game (15).
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Mike Kaye may be reached at mkaye@njadvancemedia.com.