Packers suddenly have a fascinating chance to pursue one player Brian Gutekunst has always valued
Green Bay’s front office has an intriguing opportunity to sign veteran Zach Ertz as tight end depth remains a pressing roster need.
The Green Bay Packers may have found a solution to one of their most pressing roster needs. Veteran tight end Zach Ertz is nearing a return from the torn ACL he suffered last December. According to NFL insiders Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport, Ertz is ready for football activity and will be available to sign with a team by mid-August, putting him on track for Week 1.
For a Packers roster that still lacks reliable depth behind Tucker Kraft, the timing could work in Green Bay’s favor.
A need Gutekunst wanted to address
General manager Brian Gutekunst acknowledged right after the draft that tight end depth was something the Packers wanted to address, but the run on the position made it unrealistic. The need has only grown since then. Luke Musgrave is dealing with a neck injury, and while Green Bay signed three depth tight ends over the past few days, those additions don’t necessarily provide satisfactory answers for the regular season.
Ertz would offer something different. He’s a proven commodity with a long track record of production at the NFL level, and he profiles as a complementary piece alongside Kraft. He’s a much better blocker than Musgrave and brings extensive receiving production throughout his career.
Even at 35 years old, Ertz has shown he can still contribute at a high level recently. Over the past two seasons, he totaled 1,100 receiving yards. Last season with the Washington Commanders, he posted 504 yards and four touchdowns in only 13 games before the knee injury ended his year. Those numbers suggest a player who can still move the chains and find the end zone as a secondary option in the passing game.
Ertz has been practicing with his former Stanford teammate and former NFL quarterback Andrew Luck as he works his way back to full health. The veteran is clearly motivated to continue playing, and a team with a clear need at the position would be an ideal landing spot.
The Packers have tried to acquire Ertz before
The connection between Ertz and the Packers isn’t new. Back in 2020, Green Bay tried to acquire Ertz at the trade deadline, per a Sports Illustrated report at the time. The circumstances were different then, and Ertz was 29 at the time. But the deal fell through after Ertz suffered a high ankle sprain and landed on injured reserve, staying with the Eagles before eventually moving on to the Arizona Cardinals. He later had a brief stint with the Detroit Lions, though he never played for Detroit, and spent two seasons with Washington.
The fact that Gutekunst pursued Ertz years ago suggests genuine interest in what the tight end brings to an offense. The price tag would be far lower now, making this a potentially cheap addition for a team that needs reliable depth at the position heading into the regular season.
