Tight end Zach Ertz requests and receives his release from Arizona Cardinals
Veteran tight end Zach Ertz has requested and been granted his release from the Arizona Cardinals in order to sign with a contender to try and win his second Super Bowl.
Ertz’s friend and former Cardinals teammate, the retired J.J. Watt, broke the news Thursday via social media.
The Cardinals made it official later, also announcing they have re-signed defensive lineman Ben Stille in a corresponding roster move.
Ertz, 33, was under contract through next season and was scheduled to earn $7.9 million in base salary. He has spent the past five weeks on injured reserve after suffering a quadriceps injury but is now healthy enough to play.
It just won’t be in Arizona any longer. The Cardinals (2-10) aren’t going anywhere this season, but a playmaker like Ertz should have no problem latching on with a winning team down the stretch as an unrestricted free agent.
The 11-year pro is a three-time Pro Bowl selection and has 709 career receptions for 7,434 yards and 46 touchdowns. In eight career playoff games, he has 36 receptions for 381 yards and two touchdowns. He scored the go-ahead touchdown for the Eagles in Super Bowl LII, catching an 11-yard pass from Nick Foles with 2:21 left to play during a 41-33 victory over the Patriots.
Among tight ends dating back to his first year in the NFL in 2013, Ertz ranks second in catches and receiving yards and fourth in touchdowns.
In seven games this season for the Cardinals, Ertz had 27 receptions for 187 yards and one touchdown.
With Ertz gone, second-year pro Trey McBride becomes the Cardinals’ No.1 tight end on the roster. And he’s been playing like it, too. He ranks second on the team behind wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown in receptions (48) and receiving yards (521). He has 33 receptions for 351 yards in his last five games.
The Cardinals also have veteran Geoff Swaim and rookie Elijah Higgins at tight end.
"Just a veteran player that has played football for a long time who has been to the playoffs. You know, guy who knows how to win. That's what you lose in a guy like Zach Ertz, real good guy," Cardinals safety and team captain Budda Baker said. "But like I said, we're controlling what we can control and I have all the faith in our other tight ends as well. And we're just gonna continue to take it day by day and continue to try and get better as a team, as a group, and everything else will take care of itself."
Cardinals injury report
McBride was limited in practice with a groin injury, and safety Jalen Thompson was limited after not practicing Wednesday due to a ribs injury. There were no other changes from Wednesday, other than wide receiver Zach Pascal missing practice due to a personal matter.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Zach Ertz asks for release from Cardinals, can join a contender
