Eagles Reunion Gives Zach Ertz One Final Shot at Incredible Franchise Record

Zach Ertz spent nearly five years stuck 10 catches behind Harold Carmichael in the Eagles' record book. He probably had a better chance of running into Carmichael at the grocery store than catching another pass for Philadelphia .

Now Ertz is back with the team that traded him in 2021, and a record that seemed destined to stay out of reach is suddenly up for grabs. Philadelphia certainly didn't bring him back for a nostalgia tour. The Eagles are running out of healthy tight ends, and Ertz knows a thing or two about playing the position.

Eleven catches would put him atop the franchise's all-time receptions list. Getting them might be a little more complicated.

Eagles Reunion Gives Zach Ertz One Final Shot at Incredible Franchise Record

Carmichael finished his Eagles career with 589 receptions. Ertz had 579 when Philadelphia shipped him to the Arizona Cardinals in October 2021, ending a run that included three Pro Bowls and a Super Bowl championship.

He'd already caught the go-ahead touchdown against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII. He'd also put together a ridiculous 116-catch season in 2018 , setting what was then an NFL record for tight ends.

Philadelphia handed the position to Goedert, and Ertz went about extending his career elsewhere. He spent time with Arizona and Washington before a torn ACL interrupted his latest chapter.

There wasn't much reason to think he'd ever get another opportunity to chase Carmichael. The Eagles had moved on, Ertz was getting older, and the record wasn't going anywhere.

Eagles Turn to a Familiar Face After Injuries Pile Up

Goedert's injury was bad enough. With Grant Calcaterra and Eli Stowers also unavailable, Philadelphia found itself digging through the available tight ends before September was even over.

The Eagles signed him to their practice squad Tuesday, although nobody should expect him to walk through the door and immediately start playing 60 snaps. He's 35, coming off major knee surgery and hasn't played a regular-season game since tearing his ACL with Washington.

That's quite a bit of rust to knock off.

Still, Philadelphia doesn't need Ertz to catch another 116 passes. A couple of third-down conversions, some help in the red zone and a veteran who knows where he's supposed to line up would be a welcome start.

The interesting part is what happens if Goedert misses several games.

Ertz wouldn't need a particularly heavy workload to catch 11 passes over a few weeks. Of course, that's assuming his knee holds up, he gets promoted to the active roster and Jalen Hurts actually looks his way.

A few assumptions for a guy who hasn't played in months.

Ertz Could Leave Philadelphia With One More Record

The Eagles host Chicago on Monday night, giving Ertz a few days to get reacquainted with an organization he once helped deliver its first Super Bowl championship.

His stay could be brief. Goedert will eventually return, and Philadelphia isn't going to keep its younger tight ends on the sidelines just so Ertz can chase a record.

But consider where he was a week ago. Ertz was unemployed, recovering from knee surgery and watching the Eagles play without him. Now he's back in Philadelphia with a legitimate opportunity to pass Carmichael.

And wouldn't it be something if a franchise record that survived more than four decades finally fell because Philadelphia couldn't keep its tight ends healthy?

Main Photo Courtesy of Jeffrey Becker – Imagn Images