The Washington Commanders signed Pro Bowl tight end Zach Ertz to a one-year, $5 million contract last offseason with the expectation of him serving as their starting tight end, bringing a veteran presence and leadership to the team, and assisting with Jayden Daniels’ development. For the first time since the 2021 season, Ertz played every game and had his best statistical season since 2021, as well. He finished second on the team in receptions, targets, yards, and touchdowns, catching 66 passes on 91 targets for 654 yards and seven touchdowns during the regular season. He also caught 18 passes on 25 targets for 155 yards and one touchdown during their three postseason games, including an impressive 11 receptions on 16 targets for 104 yards in the NFC Championship Game.
The Washington Commanders veteran will enter free agency this offseason

Zach Ertz, who turns 35 next November, will be an unrestricted free agent for the second consecutive offseason. Given his age and health, and considering he’s not as explosive as he once was, Ertz might ponder retirement this offseason. However, he still has some gas left in the tank and realistically has only one or two more years left in the NFL.
Commanders veteran Pro Bowler makes a massive decision regarding his future

During Monday’s press conference, Zach Ertz told the media that although he doesn’t know what the future holds, he isn’t retiring this offseason, and plans to play football next season. Ertz also went on to say that he had so much fun and felt rejuvenated playing for the Commanders and would like to continue playing with Jayden Daniels. He also believes the offense hasn’t scratched the surface yet.
“I don’t know what the future holds. I still want to play football next year. I just want to make that clear that I’m not retiring,” Ertz said, via Lou DiPietro of Audacy.com.“I had so much fun this year. I feel rejuvenated, I feel young, and this is the most amount of games I’ve played in a season at age 34 – and I felt like I played good football this year. For me, it’s just figuring out everything going forward.”
Zach Ertz, not retiring, per Zach Ertz@JPFinlayNBCS #RaiseHail #Commanders pic.twitter.com/fR9oRrALrX
— NBC4 Sports (@NBC4Sports) January 27, 2025
Will the Washington Commanders bring him back?

Since the Commanders have plenty of cap space with over $87.58 million to work with, Ertz and Jayden Daniels meshed well this season, he has some more gas left in the tank, and he likely won’t command a premium salary during the offseason, Zach Ertz returning for another season seems logical. However, it’s up to General Manager Adam Peters to make the final decision on whether they are willing to bring him back for another season.
Will the Commanders bring back their veteran Pro Bowl tight end for another season?