Zach Ertz

Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz is expected to miss three to four weeks with an ankle injury, while running back Miles Sanders will miss at least Thursday's game against the New York Giants with a knee injury, according to Chris Mortensen of ESPN. 

ESPN's Adam Schefter added that Sanders has a timetable of one to two weeks.

Sanders came out of Sunday's game against the Baltimore Ravens with a knee injury after totaling 118 rushing yards on nine carries. He has at least 80 rushing yards in four of his five appearances, although injuries continue to hold him back. The 23-year-old also missed Week 1 with a hamstring injury.

Sanders has 434 rushing yards on 6.1 yards per attempt, but the Eagles will once again have to play without him in Week 7 and potentially longer.

Meanwhile, Ertz suffered an ankle injury against the Ravens and was unable to return. The 29-year-old has been able to avoid major injuries throughout his career, playing at least 14 games in each of his first seven NFL seasons. However, he has missed at least one game in four of the last five years.

Ertz is in the midst of a disappointing season, as he has only 24 catches for 178 yards and one touchdown so far. Though he has gotten a team-high 45 targets, he has been unable to connect with Carson Wentz the way he has in the past.

Ertz entered the season with at least 70 catches and 800 receiving yards in each of the last five years.

With injuries to other pass-catchers like DeSean Jackson, Alshon Jeffery, Jalen Reagor and Dallas Goedert, the Eagles have been desperate for help in the passing attack. Losing Ertz and Sanders puts Philadelphia in an even tougher spot as the team tries to overcome its slow start to the season.

Richard Rodgers could be in for a bigger role at tight end until Ertz and Goedert return. Boston Scott and Corey Clement will likely shoulder the load at running back in Sanders' absence, although the former got only two carries after Sanders left Sunday's game.

Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz will undergo an MRI on Monday after missing the end of Sunday's 30-28 loss to the Baltimore Ravens with an ankle injury, according to Fox Sports' Jay Glazer (h/t PhillyVoice.com's Jimmy Kempski).

Glazer also reported Miles Sanders will also have an MRI on Monday, with the running back's injury causing greater concern than Ertz's.

Ertz had four receptions for 33 yards prior to exiting the contest. 

Ertz has emerged as one of the NFL's premier tight ends since the Eagles selected him out of Stanford in the second round of the 2013 draft. He registered at least 800 receiving yards in each of the past five years and entered 2020 with 35 touchdowns in 106 regular-season games.

He's posted 24 catches for 178 yards so far in the current campaign.

The 29-year-old California native has also mostly remained durable during his rise to stardom, missing just six games over his first seven seasons. However, he suffered a lacerated kidney and cracked ribs during the latter stages of 2019.

Richard Rodgers gives Philly a solid backup option anytime Ertz is out of the lineup. Hakeem Butler is the team's other reserve at the position.

The Eagles are already without tight end Dallas Goedert, who's on injured reserve with a fractured ankle. The wide receiving corps is also banged up; Alshon Jeffery has yet to play this season as he recovers from a Lisfranc injury, while deep threat DeSean Jackson has missed the past three games with a bad hamstring. As a result, unheralded wideouts such as Travis Fulgham and Greg Ward have been forced into larger roles.

A longer stint out of the lineup for Ertz would be a significant concern given his consistency and chemistry with quarterback Carson Wentz, as well as the uncertainty of the wide receiver situation.

There was tension on the sidelines in Philadelphia this week as Eagles tight end Zach Ertz and general manager Howie Roseman engaged in a "very heated discussion" at practice, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Rapoport later added the discussion included Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie and "ended on a very professional tone, saying they are all in it together and that the focus would be on the field."

Ertz, who was drafted by the Eagles in 2013, has played his whole career in Philadelphia and is set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2022.

On NFL GameDay, Rapoport shared a report about the situation:

"Tensions have been raised about the Zach Ertz contract situation. Remember, recently the two sides broke off extension talks and Ertz publicly wondered this week, 'Do the Eagles want him around after this year?'

"Well, it got even more interesting. I'm told late after one practice this week, Zach Ertz and general manager Howie Roseman got into it, a very heated discussion, I'm told. One that was witnessed by several players. An airing of grievances of sorts with some of that frustration coming out right into the open.

"Now, these two men are professionals, surely they can focus on their jobs, but obviously this makes Zach Ertz's future even more up in the air."

Ertz has expressed his frustration with the team as contract negotiations have come to a halt. Speaking to the media on Sept. 10, Ertz said he will play this season as if it were his last with the Eagles. 

The disappointment for Ertz may be because of fellow tight ends George Kittle and Travis Kelce signing megadeals in San Francisco and Kansas City last month. But the roster is crowded in Philadelphia, where tight end Dallas Goedert, 25, had five touchdowns and 607 yards on 58 receptions in 15 games last season, and Ertz isn't leaving so soon.

Under his current contract, Ertz is set to make $6.6 million in 2020 and $8.25 million in 2021.

The 29-year-old Ertz has already cemented his legacy in Philadelphia. He caught the team's lone touchdown pass in their first Super Bowl, is the team leader in single-season receptions (116 in 2018) and needs 65 receptions to become the all-time franchise leader. He finished last season ranking third among tight ends in receptions (88), fourth in yards (916) and tied for fourth with six touchdowns.

Negotiations have gotten tense between the Philadelphia Eagles and tight end Zach Ertz, and there's at least one reason why the two sides are having trouble finalizing a deal.

His name is Dallas Goedert.

As contract extensions are being handed out left and right in the NFL, Ertz finds himself struggling to get the major payday he's been hoping for. The 29-year-old hasn't been shy about sharing his feelings.

"It's been frustrating at times. It's been difficult," Ertz told reporters Thursday. "I've said all along I want to be here for the long run. I don't know for sure if that feeling is mutual."

Meanwhile, tight ends around the league are resetting the market. Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce signed a four-year, $57 million extension, while San Francisco's George Kittle landed a $75 million deal over five years.

Given the situation, Ertz has every right to be frustrated. He's stayed healthy most of his career in Philadelphia, made the Pro Bowl three times, won a Super Bowl and even broken the record for receptions by a tight end in a season with 116 in 2018.

Unfortunately for Ertz, teams aren't always willing to shell out for tight ends, and the Eagles already have their plan B at the position with Goedert. A second-round pick out of South Dakota State in 2018, Goedert has had a productive two years with the Eagles, catching 91 passes for 941 yards and nine touchdowns.

Goedert demonstrated his value in a big way last season. With the Eagles decimated by injuries at wide receiver, he stepped into a bigger role in the passing game, finishing the season with 58 receptions for 607 yards and five touchdowns. At 6'5" and 256 pounds, Goedert presents a serious matchup problem for defenses in the passing game.

A young tight end with a productive first two seasons gives the Eagles a ton of leverage in negotiations with Ertz. While the Super Bowl champion may think he has the same market value as a player like Kelce or Kittle, that kind of cap hit could be hard for general manager Howie Roseman to justify when there's another capable tight end on the roster.

Philadelphia's cap situation doesn't make things any easier. According to Over the Cap, the Eagles are projected to sit a ridiculous $64 million over the salary cap in 2021. Obviously, the team will make the necessary cuts and transactions to get under the cap, but that will be harder if they are paying Ertz more than $10 million a year.

That being said, Eagles head coach Doug Pederson values the advantages of having two starting-caliber tight ends on the roster and what that can do for his offense.

"I love having the two tight ends," Pederson said in an August press conference. "I grew up with two tight ends in this sort of West Coast offense when I was in Green Bay, and it's something that we're blessed to have these two guys in our system, and we'll continue to explore opportunities for both of them on the field at the same time."

Regardless, Goedert's presence will make it hard for Ertz to get the contract extension he's looking for before his current deal expires after 2021, at least at the value of the other superstar tight end contracts this offseason. The age difference is also worth noting; Goedert is four years younger than Ertz and also has two seasons left on his rookie deal.

That contract has a combined cap hit of $3.3 million over the next two seasons, while Ertz's cap hit across those seasons is nearly $25 million, per Spotrac. Goedert will likely be negotiating for a more manageable contract extension before his rookie deal expires, which makes sense financially for a team that faces a lot of tough decisions to get under the cap after this season.

Ertz clearly loves the city of Philadelphia and wants to play for the Eagles for as long as he can. But if he's looking for a payday like Kittle and Kelce got, then the leverage the Eagles have with Goedert will likely mean Ertz is playing for a different franchise in the near future.

Contract negotiations between the Philadelphia Eagles and Zach Ertz have taken a toll on the Pro Bowl tight end with the two sides unable to agree to terms on an extension. 

Ertz told reporters Thursday that contract talks with the Eagles have been "frustrating at times" and "difficult," but he hopes to remain with the team for a long time. 

"I don't know for sure if that feeling is mutual," Ertz said, adding he will play the 2020 season "as if this is my last year."

The Eagles exercised their 2021 option worth $8.25 million on Ertz's contract in March. 

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on Sept. 3 that talks between Ertz and the Eagles "came to an abrupt halt" because Philadelphia's backloaded proposal included less guaranteed money than a previous offer made last November. 

Recent extensions signed by George Kittle of the San Francisco 49ers (five years, $75 million) and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs (four years, $57.25 million) set new benchmarks for tight ends. 

Per Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Ertz "clearly wants to move now" on a deal after those extensions, but noted the Eagles also have Dallas Goedert on the roster. 

Goedert, a second-round pick in 2018, had a breakout season last year with 607 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 58 receptions. 

Ertz's five-year, $42.5 million deal signed in 2016 made him the fourth-highest paid tight end by guaranteed money and average annual salary. 

The Eagles selected Ertz in the second round of the 2013 NFL draft out of Stanford. He has had at least 74 receptions and 816 yards in each of the past five seasons. The 29-year-old has been named to the Pro Bowl every year since 2017. 

Contract negotiations between Philadelphia Eagles and tight end Zach Ertz reportedly came to an "abrupt halt" after the team made an underwhelming offer to the three-time Pro Bowler. 

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the proposed contract "had less guaranteed money than their offer in November" and "less cash over the next four seasons annually than Austin Hooper's Browns contract."

Hooper signed a four-year, $42 million deal with the Cleveland Browns that included $23 million guaranteed.

Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported the Eagles aren't averse to continuing negotiations:

If the Eagles were unwilling to better the terms of Hooper's deal, then Ertz has every right to feel a little aggrieved. Among tight ends through the first seven years of their career, the 29-year-old is first in receptions (525) and sixth in receiving yards (5,743), per Pro Football Reference.

George Kittle and Travis Kelce set the going rate for an elite tight end this offseason. Kittle signed a five-year, $75 million extension with the San Francisco 49ers, Kelce's four-year, $57.3 million extension will kick in with the 2022 season.

Ertz can point to the current market and reasonably demand somewhere in the range of $14 million annually.

Ertz's contract voids after the 2021 season, at which point he'll become a free agent.

That gives both sides plenty of time to resolve any differences and work out a final agreement. Conversely, that window also buys the Eagles more time to contemplate whether they want to give a lucrative extension to Ertz. 

Dallas Goedert caught 58 passes for 607 yards and five touchdowns in 2019, and he's invaluable when asked to run block.

Goedert is four years younger than Ertz and hits free agency at the same time. Keeping the two together would obviously be ideal, but Philadelphia might have a limit to how high it's willing to go for Ertz, knowing a payday for Goedert looms as well.

The Philadelphia Eagles are reportedly looking into giving Pro Bowl tight end Zach Ertz a new contract on the heels of long-term extensions signed by George Kittle and Travis Kelce.

Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Eagles have "reengaged" Ertz in talks for a possible extension. 

The Eagles ensured Ertz would be with them through 2021 when they picked up the fifth-year option worth $8.25 million on his current contract in March.

Despite having him for two more years, the Eagles have tried to work out a new deal with the 29-year-old dating back to last season.

NFL Network's Mike Silver reported in March that during the 2019 season, Ertz "turned down a deal more lucrative" than the four-year contract Austin Hooper signed with the Cleveland Browns worth $44 million total and $23 million guaranteed.

Kittle's five-year extension with the San Francisco 49ers set a new standard for tight ends. He is the highest-paid player at the position by total value ($75 million), guaranteed money ($40 million) and average annual salary ($15 million per season), per Over the Cap.

Kelce, who signed his deal with the Kansas City Chiefs on the same day as Kittle, ranks second in each of those categories.

Ertz's $20 million in total guarantees ranks fourth among tight ends behind Kittle, Kelce and Hooper. His $8.5 million average salary ranks seventh.

Since becoming Philadelphia's primary tight end in 2015, Ertz has averaged 86 receptions, 914 yards and six touchdowns per season. He set an NFL record for catches by a tight end in a single season (116 in 2018) and has been named to the Pro Bowl in each of the past three years.