Zach Ertz Rejoins Eagles as Dallas Goedert's MCL Sprain Opens the Door
Goedert sprained his MCL Sunday and is out multiple weeks. Philly is bringing back its 36-year-old legend to plug the gap against the Bears.
Multi-week MCL absence, but the TE7 finish means you stash, not drop.
- Goedert: 60 rec, 591 yds, 11 TD in 2025 (185 PPR)
- Goedert ranks TE7 in our rankings
- Ertz joins practice squad, expected to face Bears
- Ertz: 50 rec, 504 yds, 4 TD in 2025 pre-injury
- Ertz 11 catches shy of Eagles franchise record
Dallas Goedert sprained his MCL in Sunday's win over the Titans and is expected to miss multiple weeks, so Philadelphia went straight to the nostalgia file. The Eagles are bringing back Zach Ertz, adding the 36-year-old to their practice squad with the expectation he plays this week against the Bears, per multiple reports. This is the same Goedert who caught two touchdowns in the Week 1 win over Washington and finished as our TE7 last season (60 catches, 591 yards, 11 TDs for 185 PPR points in 2025).
Ertz's return is a genuine story — he was drafted by Philly in 2013, made three straight Pro Bowls from 2017-19, and caught the go-ahead touchdown from Nick Foles in the Super Bowl LI win over New England. But the fantasy question is whether the old man still has anything left in the tank after tearing his ACL in Week 14 of last season.
Short answer: maybe. Ertz spent the last two years in Washington and Arizona, and in 2024 he posted 66 catches for 654 yards and seven scores while building instant chemistry with rookie Jayden Daniels. Before the ACL cut his 2025 short, he'd racked up 50 receptions, 504 yards and four touchdowns — and his 10.1 yards-per-catch was his best mark since his last Eagles season in 2021.
The Goedert Question
For managers who own Goedert, this is a stash situation, not a panic. A multi-week MCL sprain hurts, but he was a top-seven tight end and a red-zone magnet with 11 touchdowns last year. If your bench has room, park him and ride it out. If you're desperate and roster-tight, he's still worth more than most streamers you'd cut him for.
Is Ertz Worth a Flier?
In deep leagues, sure. Ertz walking into a Jalen Hurts offense that just lost its primary tight end is exactly the kind of low-cost dart throw that occasionally hits. He's a route-runner Hurts can trust in the red zone, and 66 catches in 2024 tells you the target volume is legit when the role is there.
The move: hold Goedert if you can afford the bench spot, and grab Ertz as a speculative add in 12-team-plus and TE-premium formats. Just temper the ceiling — he's 36, coming off a torn ACL, and joining a new-old scheme on short notice. Treat Ertz as a bye-week band-aid, not a season-long answer, and be ready to pivot back the moment Goedert's knee clears.
