Reformation of the roster continues as Arizona Cardinals cut Zach Ertz
By Jim Koch
When Zach Ertz joined the Arizona Cardinals back in 2021, the long-suffering franchise was on a roll. The three-time Pro Bowl tight end was traded to a Redbirds squad that was sporting a 5-0 record, and had legitimate hopes of bringing a Super Bowl championship to the desert.
As we all know, the Cards failed to accomplish that goal, and Ertz is no longer in the organization's plans. On Thursday, the veteran was released with five games left to play this season. Ertz asked Monti Ossenfort to let him go, and the club's first-year general manager obliged.
The presence of Ertz is no longer needed on a team that is basically starting from scratch. At 33 years of age, the talented pass-catcher's best days are clearly behind him. That being said, there was very little chance that Ertz was ever going to see the final campaign of the three-year deal he signed with Arizona back in March of 2022.
Zach Ertz's days with the Arizona Cardinals seemed numbered during the early part of the 2023 campaign
Another factor that made Ertz expendable was the emergence of second-year pro Trey McBride. The second-round draft pick out of Colorado State University certainly looks like the real deal, and the Cardinals have to be happy with the youngster's progress. Ertz had missed the last five matchups, and his absence allowed McBride to seize the starting job.
In all honesty, Ertz looked terrible during the seven starts he made for the Cards this fall. The longtime Philadelphia Eagles starter hauled in 27 passes for a measly 187 yards and a touchdown before suffering a quadriceps injury back in Week 7. Ertz had also developed a case of the dropsies, and appeared to be struggling in his return from the torn ACL that ended his '22 campaign.
During the 28 starts he made for Arizona, Ertz was credited with 130 receptions, 1,167 receiving yards and eight scores. The new plan for the California native is to catch on with a team (return to Philly maybe?) who are in contention for a Vince Lombardi Trophy. We here at RaisingZona.com wish the always classy Ertz nothing but the best.,
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(Statistics provided by Pro Football Reference)