Zach Ertz Bio
Zachary Adam Ertz, known professionally as Zach Ertz, is an American professional football tight end for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Stanford Cardinal, earning unanimous All-American honors in 2012 before being selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2013 NFL draft. Ertz is a Super Bowl LII champion, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, and the holder of the NFL record for most receptions in a single season by a tight end. Over a career that has also included stops with the Arizona Cardinals and Detroit Lions, he has remained one of the league’s most reliable pass-catching tight ends.
Standing 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighing about 250 pounds, Ertz has combined size, route-running precision, and dependable hands to become a focal point of every offense he has joined. He has also built a well-known life off the field, married to former U.S. women’s national soccer team player Julie Johnston, with whom he has three sons.
Early Life and Background
Zachary Adam Ertz was born on November 10, 1990, in Orange, California, and grew up as the oldest of four children. His father, Doug Ertz, played football at Lehigh University from 1981 to 1984, and the family eventually settled in the East Bay area of Northern California, where Zach would develop his athletic foundation.
Ertz attended Monte Vista High School in Danville, California, where he played both football and basketball. As a senior on the football team, he posted 56 receptions for 756 receiving yards and 14 receiving touchdowns, earning All-East Bay Athletic League first-team honors. His size, hands, and production on the field drew the attention of several college programs, and he ultimately chose to continue his football career at Stanford University.
Path to the NFL
Ertz enrolled at Stanford in 2009 and redshirted his first season before becoming a regular contributor in the Cardinal offense. In 2010, he appeared in 13 games and recorded 16 receptions for 190 yards and five touchdowns, including a scoring grab in the Orange Bowl against Virginia Tech. The following year, despite missing three games with a knee injury, he added 27 receptions for 343 yards and four touchdowns, highlighted by a touchdown catch in the Fiesta Bowl versus Oklahoma State.
As a junior in 2012, Ertz produced his signature college season with 69 catches, 898 receiving yards, and six touchdowns, leading all FBS tight ends in receiving yards. He was named a unanimous All-American, a finalist for the Mackey Award, and a first-team All-Pac-12 selection. On January 8, 2013, Ertz announced he would forgo his senior season and declare for the 2013 NFL Draft, where he was widely projected as a late first- or early second-round pick.
Zach Ertz Career
Early Career (2013–2014)
The Philadelphia Eagles selected Ertz with the 35th overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft, the second tight end taken behind Notre Dame’s Tyler Eifert. He signed a four-year rookie contract and entered a depth chart that included veterans Brent Celek, James Casey, and Clay Harbor. Ertz made his regular-season debut in the opener at the Washington Redskins and quickly built a role as a receiving tight end, highlighted by his first career touchdown catch from Nick Foles during a Week 9 win at the Oakland Raiders. He finished his rookie year with 36 receptions for 469 yards and four touchdowns.
In his second season, Ertz became a more consistent target and set a career high with 15 receptions for 115 yards against the Washington Redskins in Week 16. He finished 2014 with 58 catches for 702 yards and three touchdowns. Although the Eagles posted a 10-6 record, they missed the playoffs, and Ertz continued to develop into one of the league’s emerging tight ends.
Philadelphia Eagles Breakthrough (2015–2018)
Ertz took a meaningful step forward in 2015, finishing with 75 receptions for 853 yards and two touchdowns despite playing through injuries and a head-coaching change. That offseason, the Eagles rewarded him with a five-year, $42.5 million contract extension, signaling his long-term role as the offense’s primary tight end. In 2016, he led the team in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdown catches despite appearing in only 14 games, and in 2017 he produced a career-high eight touchdown receptions on his way to his first Pro Bowl selection.
The 2017 season also delivered the defining moment of Ertz’s career. After helping the Eagles to a 13-3 record and a first-round bye, he started in Super Bowl LII against the New England Patriots on February 4, 2018, catching seven passes for 67 yards and a touchdown. His fourth-quarter, go-ahead seven-yard score from Nick Foles helped Philadelphia secure a 41-33 victory and its first Super Bowl title in franchise history.
Building on that success, Ertz delivered his most prolific statistical season in 2018. He set a new NFL record for tight ends with 113 receptions in a single season, breaking Jason Witten’s mark, and finished the year with 116 receptions, 1,163 yards, and eight touchdowns, earning his second consecutive Pro Bowl nod. His consistency as a chain-moving target and his knack for producing in the red zone made him a central figure in the Eagles’ offense for the remainder of his Philadelphia tenure.
Arizona Cardinals and Detroit Lions (2019–2023)
After a productive 2019 season in which Ertz added his third Pro Bowl honor, injuries limited him in 2020. On October 15, 2021, the Eagles traded him to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for cornerback Tay Gowan and a 2022 fifth-round pick. Ertz finished 2021 with 74 receptions for 763 yards and five touchdowns in his time split between Philadelphia and Arizona, and he signed a three-year, $31.65 million extension with the Cardinals in March 2022.
His Arizona tenure was cut short by injuries. Ertz suffered a season-ending knee injury in 2022 and was placed on injured reserve in November, and in 2023 a quadriceps injury again sent him to injured reserve before the team waived him in late November at his request. In January 2024, Ertz signed with the Detroit Lions practice squad following an injury to Brock Wright, and his contract expired when the Lions’ season ended.
Washington Commanders Era (2024–Present)
On March 12, 2024, Ertz signed a one-year contract with the Washington Commanders. He appeared in all 17 games and finished the 2024 regular season with 66 receptions for 654 yards and seven touchdowns, including a memorable two-touchdown performance in a Week 17 overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons that clinched Washington’s playoff berth. He then led the Commanders with 11 receptions for 104 yards on 16 targets in the 2025 NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Ertz re-signed with Washington on a one-year, $6.25 million contract in March 2025 and continued to climb the NFL’s all-time tight end ranks. In Week 13 of the 2025 season, he caught his 816th career reception, surpassing Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe to become the fifth-ranked tight end in NFL history in receptions. On December 7, 2025, Ertz suffered a torn ACL in his right knee during a game against the Minnesota Vikings and was placed on injured reserve three days later.
Driving Style and Strengths
On the field, Ertz has long been valued for his reliable hands, sharp route running, and ability to find soft spots in zone coverage. He excels as a possession receiver who can move the chains, work the middle of the field, and finish in the red zone, complementing his physical size with strong body control and dependable hands. His chemistry with quarterbacks such as Nick Foles, Carson Wentz, and later Washington’s signal-callers has allowed him to operate as a security blanket and trusted third-down target.
Notable Events and Milestones
Ertz’s most iconic moment remains his go-ahead touchdown catch in Super Bowl LII, which helped deliver Philadelphia its first Lombardi Trophy. He also owns the NFL single-season record for receptions by a tight end, set in 2018 with 116 catches, and has surpassed Shannon Sharpe for fifth place on the league’s all-time receptions list among tight ends. His three Pro Bowl selections (2017, 2018, 2019) further underscore his consistency at the position’s highest level.
Zach Ertz Career Wins
Zach Ertz’s career is highlighted by championship success, individual accolades, and sustained statistical production. He is a Super Bowl LII champion, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, and a unanimous All-American from his 2012 season at Stanford. Across his NFL career, Ertz has recorded more than 800 receptions and established himself as one of the most productive tight ends of his era.
NFL Highlights
Ertz’s signature win came in Super Bowl LII, where he caught seven passes for 67 yards and a touchdown to help the Philadelphia Eagles defeat the New England Patriots 41-33. In the 2018 regular season, he set the NFL tight end record for catches in a season and earned Pro Bowl recognition, while in 2024 his two-touchdown performance in a Week 17 overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons helped the Washington Commanders clinch a playoff berth. In the 2025 NFC Championship Game, he posted 11 receptions for 104 yards in a hard-fought road loss to the Eagles.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond his NFL milestones, Ertz was a unanimous All-American and first-team All-Pac-12 selection in 2012 and won the Ozzie Newsome Award as the top tight end in college football. He also set the FBS tight end single-season receiving yardage record that year with 898 yards and finished as a finalist for the Mackey Award. His college production helped establish him as a top NFL draft prospect, and his consistent professional performance has translated into three Pro Bowl selections and a place among the most prolific pass-catchers in league history at the tight end position.
Zach Ertz Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Zachary Adam Ertz is married to Julie Ertz (née Julie Johnston), a former starting defensive midfielder for the United States women’s national soccer team and a two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup champion. The couple became engaged on February 26, 2016, when Ertz proposed at Klein Field, the Stanford University baseball stadium where they first met, and they married on March 26, 2017, in Goleta, California.
The Ertz family includes three sons: Madden, born on August 11, 2022, and twins Kace and Kyren, born on August 24, 2024. The couple was featured together in ESPN’s The Body Issue in 2017, and Ertz has spoken publicly about the influence of his Christian faith on his family life and career.
2025 Season Performance
Zach Ertz returned to the Washington Commanders in 2025 on a one-year, $6.25 million contract after a strong 2024 campaign. Early in the season, he continued to serve as a reliable target in the passing game and was active on third downs and in the red zone, where his size and hands remained central to the Commanders’ offensive plan. In Week 13, he caught his 816th career reception, moving past Shannon Sharpe into fifth place on the NFL’s all-time receptions list among tight ends.
His 2025 season, however, was cut short on December 7, when a hit to his right leg while airborne against the Minnesota Vikings caused a torn ACL. He was placed on injured reserve three days later, ending his season and leaving the Commanders to adjust their tight end rotation down the stretch.
Looking ahead, the 2025 season reinforces Ertz’s standing as one of the most productive tight ends in league history while raising questions about his future availability. His combination of veteran leadership, dependable hands, and red-zone production remains a valuable asset, and his next steps, whether through recovery and return or a transition beyond playing, are sure to draw attention across the league.