Eagles risk alienating Zach Ertz with latest low-ball contract offer

The Eagles negotiations with Zach Ertz have come to a halt, for now

Ertz still has several years left on his current contract, but with new deals given to both Travis Kelce, Austin Hooper and George Kittle — three of the best players at Ertz’s position in football — the Eagles tight end rightfully believes it is his turn to receive a deal to his liking.

The last two seasons, Ertz has made up a large percentage of the Eagles passing game, especially with their lack of a true No. 1 receiving option out wide. Ertz has caught 116 and 88 passes respectfully in 2018 and 2019, even eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark in the former. Despite their financial situation, the Eagles are playing with fire.

The Eagles risk alienating one of their most important offensive contributors

Per Ian Rapoport, Ertz received an offer of less annual income than Hooper, who signed on for four years and $42 million with the Browns this offseason. Kelce ($57 million, four years) and Kittle ($75 million, five years) are the highest-paid tight ends in football, and rightly so. But to not place Ertz at least somewhere within reach of those two is an insult to him.

Ertz wants to remain in Philadelphia, and that’s a good sign given the current outlook of the Eagles receiving corps. Yes, they did draft Jalen Reagor in April, but as has been the trend with promising young Eagles wideouts, he’s already dealing with an injury. Ertz is the only sure thing Carson Wentz can count on weekly, and the signal-caller’s continued development is what Howie Roseman is holding out hope for.

The Eagles could be as much as $50-$60 million over the cap next season, which explains the back-loaded offer they sent Ertz. Surely, Ertz’s camp understand this, but for the overall offer to not come close to rewarding him as one of the best tight ends in the game is an insult.