Philadelphia Eagles: Zach Ertz’s back injury adds to offensive woes

It appears the Philadelphia Eagles are dealing with more than just a rib injury to Zach Ertz entering Week 17 against the New York Giants.

Just when it seemed like things couldn’t get anymore frustrating for the Philadelphia Eagles in the injury department, Zach Ertz was forced to leave last Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys with a rib injury.

Even if Ertz ended up returning for the second half to help defeat the Cowboys, just seeing the tight end deal with the injury was the last thing the Eagles could afford with the team one win away from securing the NFC East title for the second time in three seasons.

Then again, the fact that Ertz managed to return, and seems willing to continue playing through the injury adds to the list of reasons as to why he is considered one of the toughest tight ends in the NFL.

With that being said, it appears Ertz’s ribs weren’t the only injury the tight end has been dealing with after the tight end popped up on the injury report for his back as well, meaning the Eagles have yet another obstacle to overcome moving forward.

While it was great to see Dallas Goedert step up for Philadelphia on offense against Dallas by catching nine passes for 91 yards with a touchdown, no one needs to explain how much of a difference maker Ertz is to this offense when healthy.

The chances of the Eagles making a deep run in January (if they make the playoffs, of course) were already a long shot to begin with as a result of all the injuries on both sides of the football.

And even though Ertz will still be capable of making a major impact moving forward, the fact that he is dealing with a back injury on top of the ribs sounds concerning.

As of early Friday afternoon, Ertz’s status for Sunday’s game against the New York Giants is still up in the air, and if these injuries prevent the star tight end up from suiting up, it’s only going to add even more pressure to the contest.

New York’s offense showing new life in each of the last two weeks could mean Philadelphia will need all of the extra points possible just to keep things close with their rivals.

So even if Ertz decides to give it a go, how much of an impact he will still be able to make with the multiple injuries is a different story for the Eagles, and adds another challenge to the Week 17 meeting with their rivals.