Former Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz says the Washington Commanders helped him “fall back in love with the game again.”

His career left for dead, Ertz has been reborn with the Washington Commanders and now returns to Philadelphia, where he became a top tight end.

Ertz had high praise for the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback. Among playoff quarterbacks, Daniels ranks first in passing yards and fourth in completion percentage and has tossed four touchdowns in two games with a 116.2 quarterback rating.

Veteran Commanders tight end Zach Ertz knows all about the importance of keeping Daniels healthy in order for the franchise to deliver a Super Bowl, so it's no surprise that he was steamed over a hit that Detroit Lions defensive end Josh Paschal delivered on his quarterback in last Saturday's NFC divisional round playoff game.

Tight end Zach Ertz has been at this stage before, so he knows better than most Washington Commanders what it takes to win the game on the biggest stage.

Full practice Thursday

The Washington Commanders have been the underdog story in the 2025 NFL playoffs. After sneaking in as the second-to-last seed, they have earned wins over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Detroit Lions en route to the NFC Championship Game,

Two weeks ago, the Washington Commanders won their first playoff game in 19 years. Sunday’s NFC championship game will be just the 11th playoff game since the turn of the century for the organization and its first conference championship game since Joe Gibbs — the coach for whom they named a street at the practice facility just north of Dulles airport — led the team to a Super Bowl win to end the 1991 season.

The NFC Championship Game is a showdown between the Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles that will decide who advances to the Super Bowl.

Zach Ertz helped the Philadelphia Eagles win their first Super Bowl. Now, with the Washington Commanders, he faces his former club in the NFC Championship Game.

Ertz is one of the few players on this Commanders team with experience in the NFC Championship Game, catching eight passes on eight targets for 93 yards in his lone Conference Championship appearance.

A pair of offseason trades ensured that this season’s Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders squads would be forever linked. Sunday’s NFC championship game between the division rivals serves as a moment of retribution for a few members of the District’s upstart squad.