The Commanders lost more than just the game against the Vikings, and now they must think about the future at a certain position
Zach Ertz is out for the rest of the season with a torn ACL. The Commanders need to see what they have for the future at tight end, and think about the offseason.
The Washington Commanders left Week 14 with the worst loss of the NFL season against the Minnesota Vikings, and so much more.
Of course, Jayden Daniels left the game early after falling on his arm, and the defense was back to being the worst in the league. On top of that, the Commanders lost a key leader in tight end Zach Ertz, who went down with a season-ending injury.
Now, the Commanders have no choice but to turn to the youth and see what the future looks like at the tight end position.
Zach Ertz is out for the season with a torn ACL
Ertz was coming into the Vikings game after having a massive showing the previous week with a team-high 10 catches for 106 yards. This game was ugly from the start, and it only got worse when Ertz went down after an ugly tackle to his knee when he went up for a catch. Ertz was carted off and was clearly emotional, and it was announced Tuesday that he did, in fact, tear his ACL, which ends his season and possibly his career as well.
He was clearly emotional, leaving the field on the cart, and so were his teammates; this is a big loss for the Commanders on and off the field. Now, just like the Commanders have many times this season, the team has to rally and pull some depth players to step up.
The Commanders turn to the youth in the tight end room
Ertz being out for the season means it’s up to John Bates, Ben Sinnott, and Colson Yankoff for the rest of the season. Filling in Ertz’s shoes is impossible. He will go down as one of the best to ever play the position in this era, but this is a big test for some young guys to show what they learned from him. Evaluating the roster is a big focal point for the team moving forward, now that it’s officially eliminated from the playoffs, and that starts next week for the tight end room.
The future at the tight end position
Ertz is a free agent after the season, which means he likely took his last snap as a Commander, if not the final snap of his long career.
Now the Commanders need to figure out how to move forward in 2026. That starts by seeing more of Sinnott and Yankoff over these last four games of the season. Expect Sinnott and Yankoff to have an increased role in the passing game as more natural receivers than Bates.
The Commanders can attack free agency and the draft for a TE1
Regardless of how the rest of the tight ends look in the final four games, the Commanders need a legit TE1 to make up for Ertz’s production. They’ll have options to target in free agency with Isaiah Likely, David Njoku, and Kyle Pitts, and general manager Adam Peters will have some salary cap space to spend.
If they wait for the draft, they’ll likely take one in the third or fifth round since they only have six picks to work with. Eli Stowers, Michael Trigg, Terrance Carter, and John Michael Gyllenborg are draft prospects to watch in that range.
Regardless of what they decide to do, losing Ertz hurts on and off the field, and the Commanders need to see what they have in their current room while thinking about the offseason as well.
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