Latest news with #Ertz
Time of India
20 hours ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz ranked shockingly low on PFF list despite strong 2024 season
Zach Ertz (via Getty Images) Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz might be coming on the back end of his storied NFL career, but his recent play indicates he has plenty left in the tank. Yet, Pro Football Focus disagrees. In its recent tight end rankings, Zach Ertz was assigned to a confounding No. 30, behind several rookies who have not yet taken an NFL snap. The choice has drawn significant criticism, particularly with Zach Ertz's comeback 2024 season, which accounted for 809 yards and eight touchdowns on 84 receptions. Zach Ertz ends up No. 30 in Pro Football Focus rankings following stellar season Zach Ertz, the Washington Commanders' acquisition in a midseason trade in 2024, was a steady go-to in the regular season and the playoffs. His 2024 statistics are eloquent: he was 11th in receiving yardage, sixth in receptions, eighth in targets, and tied for fourth in touchdowns as an NFL tight end. Yet Pro Football Focus ranked him towards the bottom of its 32-man tight end list. The 34-year-old veteran played a crucial role in the Washington Commanders' playoff drive and was one of quarterback Jayden Daniels' go-to guys. However, his positioning behind rookies such as Colston Loveland and Tyler Warren has seen fans and analysts baffled. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Concentrated Siberian Ginseng Extract 2oz Superior Ginseng Undo Zach Ertz | Commanders Not Dwelling on Losing to Eagles in NFC Championship + Still Loves NFL Bafflingly, rookies such as Colston Loveland (23rd-ranked) and Tyler Warren (24th-ranked) were placed well ahead of Ertz, despite neither having played a single down in the league. The ranking in this case appears to set aside on-field production for speculative ability. 'While Ertz isn't the same player we saw from 2013 to 2019, he enjoyed a resurgence while catching passes from Jayden Daniels in 2024,' Pro Football Focus writes. 'He hauled in 84 passes for 809 yards and eight touchdowns last season, and his 72.5 PFF receiving grade was his best mark since 2019, showing he still has good play left in the tank.' Ertz also played a huge role during the postseason, catching 18 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown during Washington's postseason run, demonstrating his clutch gene. Also read: Jayden Daniels backs Terry McLaurin as contract talks keep him away from Washington Commanders OTAs Last season or not, Zach Ertz is an elite player Regardless of whether 2025 is Zach Ertz's last year in the NFL, he proved that he can still play at a high level. His No. 30 ranking does not mean he isn't a worthy player, and if Ertz required more motivation this season, he just received it.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Yahoo
Altoona man sentenced to prison for committing sex acts on children
ALTOONA, Iowa — An Altoona man was sentenced to prison on Friday for committing sexual acts on children. According to the Polk County Attorney's Office, 71-year-old Michael Charles Ertz pleaded guilty to committing sexual acts on three separate minors that occurred between 2013 to 2019 in Polk County and pleaded guilty to committing similar acts in Dallas County during the same time frame at a hearing on Friday. Fire causes 'significant' damage to Raccoon River Valley Bike Trail bridge in Adel In December 2024, the Altoona Police Department learned about the sexual abuse committed by Ertz when one of the victims came forward. During the execution of a search warrant, police discovered child pornography in Ertz's possession. In total, Ertz pled guilty to three counts of lascivious acts with a child and two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor in the Polk County case and two counts of lascivious acts with a child in the Dallas County case. During Friday's hearing, a district judge sentenced Ertz to 50 years in prison and ordered Ertz to be supervised and monitored by the Department of Corrections for the rest of his life and to register as a sex offender. Metro News: Altoona man sentenced to prison for committing sex acts on children Fire damages defunct Des Moines restaurant building Scholastic Spotlight: SEP's Skilled Trades Extension Center Interactive art installation is first of many free summer events coming to Des Moines 'This is our Black Friday' Garden centers prepare for Mother's Day rush Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
05-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Arizona Cardinals TE Trey McBride sheds ‘happy tears' talking to the media Friday
Arizona Cardinals TE Trey McBride sheds 'happy tears' talking to the media Friday You have to like McBride's reaction to his new contract extension. We'll know the true structure of Trey McBride's contract in due time and the actual average dollars per year, but the reality is it's a boatload of money for the Arizona Cardinals tight end who was selected in the second round of the 2022 draft. There were raised eyebrows when McBride was picked even though the critics should have realized it made sense. Zach Ertz had been acquired in a trade during the 2021 season, but the reality was Ertz would turn 32 during the 2022 season. He ended up suffering a torn ACL 16 days after his birthday that season, but still remained the starter at the beginning of the 2023 season even though it seemed clear he was a different player. McBride just kept working and when Ertz injured his quad and was placed on injured reserve Oct. 26, he finally got his chance. He hasn't looked back, which led to some emotional moments when he talked to the media Friday and recalled offensive coordinator Drew Petzing telling him he probably wouldn't play much early that season. Who knows how long it would have taken had Ertz not been injured again. McBride admitted 'It was hard, I sat down with Drew when I first got here and he told me very straight up, 'Man, you're a great player. You can do everything we want, but you might not play as much as we want you to early on.' He was really straightforward with me and I took it hard, man. 'But to push through that to break the barrier and get to reap the rewards is very special. Just put my head down and grinded and to be here with JG, Monti (Ossenfort), those guys, there's no one better. It's very, very special.' Fighting back from 'happy tears for sure,' he said, 'I kept my head down and I kept grinding. I kept working hard, and I knew my opportunity was going to come, and when it came, I knew I had to seize it. And I feel like that's exactly what I did, and I just put the work in every day. I put the work in overtime, and to finally reap the rewards is exciting. "It's just crazy overwhelming." He never was concerned about the deal getting done; it was just a matter of when. For it to happen 19 days before the offseason program begins was icing on the cake. Said McBride, 'I knew Monti wanted me here. I knew I wanted to be here. I knew we were going to get something done. I didn't know when it was going to get done, but just to get it done before OTAs, before training camp, so I can just kind of focus on football and have that sigh of relief that weight off my shoulders. I'm glad it got done when it got done and just eager, excited, all the emotions. Reflecting on being from a small town in Colorado, Fort Morgan, McBride said, "To go play Division 1 college football is a huge deal, so to be the highest-paid tight end from Fort Morgan, I mean, gosh, it's just the biggest honor. I mean, it's so cool. It's very special, man. If you would've told me I would've been the highest paid, I would've never believed you." He also knows there's a lot to still accomplish as a player and as a team and the hard work will continue. "I had no pressure when I was on a rookie deal, and I don't expect any pressure now," he said when asked about living up to the contract. "I'm just going to continue to do what I've done, continue to put the work in, and everything really does take care of it. So, if you just do the right thing, you work hard and everything will take care of itself. "I think there's still a lot out there. There's still more in the tank. I'm young, I still feel like I'm scratching the surface of what I can do." Noting that quarterback Kyler Murray was one of the first to reach out after news of the deal spread Thursday, McBride said they talked about "how excited we are to play with each other for a few more years. To grow, to win, to do all the things that we want to do together." He stressed that what's important to him goes beyond numbers, whether it be statistics or money. McBride concluded, "This isn't why you play. You play to win, and that's the next thing for me. I want to win. We are on the warpath to win. 'Everything is trending in the right direction." Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
Fox News
04-04-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Cardinals make Trey McBride highest-paid tight end in NFL history with 4-year contract extension
The Arizona Cardinals made Trey McBride the highest-paid tight end in NFL history when they signed him to a contract extension on Friday. McBride, 25, signed a four-year, $76 million contract extension, with $43 million guaranteed, per numerous reports. Prior to McBride's extension, Kansas City Chiefs' star tight end Travis Kelce was the highest-paid tight end, as he is set to make $17.1 million in 2025. McBride's new deal has an annual average value of $19 million. The Cardinals selected McBride in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft out of Colorado State. McBride's role in the offense has grown every season. As a rookie, McBride was the backup to starting tight end Zach Ertz and had 29 catches for 265 yards and a touchdown. However, an injury to Ertz in McBride's second season opened the door to more playing time. Ertz suffered a quad strain in Week 7, and McBride took over the starting role and never looked back. McBride finished his second season with 81 catches and 825 yards with three touchdowns and emerged as one of quarterback Kyler Murray's favorite targets down the stretch. McBride took another step last season, as he started 16 games and had 111 receptions for 1,146 yards and two touchdowns. His strong performance earned him a Pro Bowl selection. McBride took to social media to express his joy at his new contract. "MAANNN HOW WE FEELING ??? LETS GOOOOO!!!" McBride posted to X. Murray also took to social media to congratulate McBride. "Maaaaan! So happy for my dawg, worth every penny! More work to be done but a great day," Murray posted to X. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
New York Times
18-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Commanders proving they won't get complacent coming off surprising season
Zach Ertz dutifully responded to questions last week about why he re-signed with the Washington Commanders. As if the answers weren't obvious. The tight end was among the veterans added last season to help reset the organization's competitive vibes and talent level after years of miserable outcomes. Improvement in those areas — and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels showing he might be him — would qualify as a success. The Commanders then blew past those modest goals with 12 regular-season wins and an NFC championship appearance. Advertisement Money can sway decisions, but Ertz banked enough salary over his 12-year career where financial thoughts weren't running the show. The roster, coaching staff and front office were loaded with people who took pride in their work and understood a repeat performance, and hopes of a Super Bowl finish, required more. 'For the guys that are coming back, I think the messaging is very simple,' Ertz said on a video call with local reporters. 'We can't say we're 12-5 and be complacent in how we approach the process. We have to get better as a football team.' That's how general manager Adam Peters and coach Dan Quinn entered the transactional part of the offseason. Washington acquired wide receiver Deebo Samuel and left tackle Laremy Tunsil in a pair of splashy trades that cost four draft picks, including a 2025 third- and 2026 second-rounder. Combined with last season's trade deadline acquisition of cornerback Marshon Lattimore, the team that sincerely believes in building through the draft lost six selections from its war chest. This divergent path from last year's slower and self-described recalibration approach has led to 'all in for the Super Bowl' talk, or at least the idea of Washington being extra aggressive after a surprising season. Risk-reward debates followed, including the thought of pushing in more chips by trading for Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson. Cincinnati's trade demands — a first-round pick at minimum — and potentially a lack of interest in moving the 2024 sacks leader in search of a new contract are the hold-ups in any deal, league sources tell The Athletic. The sources said Washington has explored a Hendrickson trade, but the level of interest following the move for Tunsil is unclear. Overall, some public discussions lack the needed context. Trading picks deviated from previous expectations, but with justification. Sufficient help in free agency at areas of need wasn't there. Advertisement The Commanders have been judicious. Rather than sit out or overspend in free agency, Washington's decision-makers followed Ertz's mindset: Get better. No complacency allowed. They do not get high on their own supply by thinking that running the roster back from last season was enough, even if 33 of the 53 Week 1 players arrived on their watch. Of the Commanders' 28 free agents this cycle, 19 were re-signed as of Sunday, but only two received multiyear deals: blocking tight end John Bates and special teams standout Nick Bellore. Only two returnees — Ertz and linebacker Bobby Wagner — are definitive starters. That's the same number of starters exiting when including Jeremy Chinn, who signed with the Las Vegas Raiders, and the release of two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, now with the Minnesota Vikings. Washington made its own luck during the franchise's best campaign since 1991 — hello, Noah Brown 'Hail Mary' catch — but numerous breaks went its way before the season-ending loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. The last-place schedule lived down to the hype. Significant injuries largely pained other teams. The Commanders won five consecutive games, including the wild-card victory at Tampa Bay, on the final play from scrimmage. You don't need a master's degree from MIT to know the long odds of such an achievement. 'If a couple of those games didn't go our way, we're looking at a very different season,' Ertz said. 'We can't just say, 'We were the second-best team in the NFC.' We have to get better. That's just the bottom line.' Due to the previous regime's draft misfires, Peters couldn't rely on younger players being ready for more significant roles against a 2025 schedule with five games (Eagles twice) versus the four teams with at least 14 wins last season, and eight games against seven playoff teams overall. There will be no sneaking up, regardless of the opponent. Advertisement 'We're going to get everyone's best shot,' Ertz said. Of 33 selections from 2020 to 2023, nine remain with Washington, with five considered starters or rotation help. Front-line assistance at offensive tackle, edge defender and wide receiver/offensive playmaker would come from elsewhere. Ideally, said help meant signing free agents and holding on to draft picks. The oldest team in last season's playoffs needed an injection of youth beyond the previous year's nine-player draft class. That Daniels, 24, has star potential for the next decade means building up the roster around him for future years of contending. The fork-in-the-road scenario for Washington's consideration added a twist. The rare two-year window with a star quarterback playing on a far cheaper rookie contract before becoming extension-eligible creates an aggressive roster-building opportunity. 'Draft picks are fun … but oftentimes they do take a few years to develop,' said the 34-year-old Ertz following the Samuel and Tunsil deals. 'For a guy that wants to win now, just like everyone else in this building, sometimes (trades) are a little bit of a shortcut to get a proven commodity. There is no guessing or projection in that regard.' Having the third-most salary-cap space entering March gave the Commanders financial runway for a quicker fix. This was good because Washington already shipped third- and fourth-round picks to New Orleans for Lattimore. The move addressed a significant cornerback issue for the then-7-2 Commanders and put a four-time Pro Bowler with a nagging hamstring injury and a contract running through 2026 on the roster. Washington still had eight 2025 selections and its full allotment in 2026. The March 1 trade for Samuel, a player the San Francisco 49ers' front office with Peters drafted in 2019, erased a fifth-round pick. Injuries and weight concerns factored into a down 2024 season, but a healthy Samuel is a physical run-after-the-catch force. This is a trust-in-Peters move with minimal risk — the Commanders easily absorbed Samuel's expiring contract with a $17.5 million price tag. They prudently got ahead of free agency's unpredictability rather than face potential bidding wars within a thin market. Davante Adams was the only wideout arguably ranked over Samuel to switch teams. Advertisement Maybe the Lattimore and Samuel trades wouldn't have happened had Washington followed its expectations in 2024. Moving multiple picks for Tunsil, one of the league's premier left tackles, is logical even if coming off a playoff-less season. Helping the dazzling Daniels in any way possible is sensible and Washington's best path to maintain or improve on last season's success. Upgrading the left tackle position, managed last season by 2024 third-round pick Brandon Coleman, was an obvious starting point. Coleman's impressive size and athletic potential didn't offset allowing 10 sacks and other quick pressures. 'I hope they leave Coleman at LT,' texted an NFC general manager before free agency began. Peters and Quinn had other plans. Boosting the lagging ground game and raising the line's potential by moving Coleman to a more comfortable right tackle role are two examples of helping last season's fifth-highest-scoring offense beyond protecting Daniels' blindside. Here's the real point about trading 2025 third- and seventh-round picks and a 2026 second — Washington and Houston also swapped fourths — for Tunsil: Where else would Peters find difference-making replacements? According to league sources and other reports, the Commanders were interested in Ronnie Stanley. The Ravens agreed to re-sign their left tackle to an annual average salary of $20 million over three years before free agency opened. Tackle options cratered from there. Is it better to overspend on questionable free-agent talent such as new Tennessee Titan Dan Moore — his four-year deal averaging $21 million per season is roughly Tunsil's salary on his remaining two years — than trade picks for a significant upgrade at the second-most important position on offense? Feel better if Washington spent $238.5 million in free agency like New England entering its two-year window with potential franchise quarterback Drake Maye, despite coming off a four-win season? Overreacting to Washington's trades in either direction would misread what Peters and Quinn faced. Those deals and a surprising three-year, $45 million contract for free-agent defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw were the only ones involving eight-figure salaries. The signings were mainly about maintaining internal chemistry and providing enough depth for Peters to attack the draft as desired. Finding a significant edge defender to provide a pass rush and assistance for the 30th-ranked run defense is the primary box left unchecked. Picks in the first two rounds make for a potential resolution. Otherwise, any defensive improvement exists on the margins until the scheme fit is seen. Determining how much Washington closed the gap with Philadelphia is therefore to be determined. Advertisement The Commanders now have All-Pro-level talent at four primary positions, with Samuel complementing 2024 All-Pro wide receiver Terry McLaurin. Hendrickson would complete the set. Perhaps Cincinnati's new contract agreements with wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins accelerate its Hendrickson intentions. Washington's moves reduced its significant amount of effective salary-cap space, which now ranks 21st at $18.4 million, per Over the Cap. Patience has kept the Commanders in the Hendrickson mix if they're interested. Trading away more picks would further remove them from a longer-term vision around Daniels. Maintaining cash and cap space isn't playing it safe. Expected extensions for Tunsil and McLaurin loom. They could also spend modestly on free-agent options, including edge rusher Za'Darius Smith and former Washington cornerback Kendall Fuller. The Commanders' front office has already shown that limiting its vision to a single doctrine is short-sighted. Roster-building is a nimble-minded person's game, and Washington's philosophy is situationally adaptable. 'It's an exciting time to be a Commanders fan,' Ertz said, 'because we're doing everything we can to be the team we want to be.' (Photo of Adam Peters: Stacy Revere / Getty Images)
