Philadelphia Eagles talk: Zach Ertz has a chip on his shoulder

Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz has something he wants to say, and if you’re a fan of this team or view yourselves as competition, you’re going to want to know what that is.

Call us crazy, but for their rest of our lives, we’re never going to be able to look at Zach Ertz without thinking about him taking that reception on the slant route and then diving into the end zone during Super Bowl LII. The Philadelphia Eagles‘ star tight end has seen that moment immortalized everywhere. Just Google his name.

Then, there was the time Sports Illustrated issued that commemorative edition publication with a photo of Ertz reaching the ball over the goal line on the cover. Last season, he broke the record for most receptions in a single season by a tight end with 113.

It’s hard to imagine that, not too long ago, we were talking about whether or not he’d take the next step and whether or not he could have big moments consistently in every Eagles game. At that point in his career, he had moments where he’d disappear, but he always saved his biggest performances for any battle with the New York Giants.

Fast forward, and we haven’t used the term ‘inconsistent’ in conjunction with Ertz’s name for a while. ’86’ is recognized around the league as being one of the best tight ends in the game, but the former second-round selection (he went 35th overall) isn’t satisfied with that. He wants to be seen as the best.

It’s safe to say Mr. Ertz has a chip on his shoulder. Here’s a quote:

"In terms of how I compare myself, I think I’m up there towards the top, I would think. I have a big chip on my shoulder, though, for sure. There’s a lot of times this offseason… I don’t pay too much attention, but people were saying there were one or two guys that are better than me, and my goal is to always be the best., but I definitely have a huge chip on my shoulder this year."

With Rob Gronkowski recently announcing his retirement from the New England Patriots and the NFL on March 24th, the two guys he’s referring to are George Kittle of the San Francisco 49ers and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Let’s make one thing perfectly clear. Ertz is just as good and, potentially, could be better than both of those guys. For his career, ’86’ has racked up 437 career receptions, 4,827 receiving yards, one amazing catch in Super Bowl LII on fourth down to keep Philly’s go-ahead drive alive and the aforementioned catch and dive into the end zone that put ‘The Birds’ ahead for good.

He’s also reached the end zone 29 times if you’re interested. What’s scary (or exciting if you love the Eagles) is he hasn’t cracked his potential or reached his prime yet. Buckle up “Birds’ fans, ’86’ will be back in the lineup again in 2019, and when he is, he figures to be a problem again.

Might he break his own record? We’ll have to wait and see.