Is Zach Ertz Back With the Eagles? What the Official Record Supports

The careful answer is a reported practice-squad return

NFL.com reported on September 21, 2026, that Philadelphia was signing Zach Ertz to its practice squad. That wording matters: it establishes a reported practice-squad move, but not an active-roster promotion, a starting role, or a game appearance. The Eagles’ official transaction page had not yet shown an Ertz transaction in its September 2026 list when checked.

The precise description, therefore, is a reported return to Philadelphia’s practice squad—not a confirmed return to the Eagles’ lineup.

The MCL reference points to someone else

The MCL detail in the current NFL report concerns Dallas Goedert. The report says Philadelphia’s tight-end depth changed after Goedert suffered an MCL sprain and Eli Stowers went on injured reserve. It separately describes Ertz as returning after an ACL injury.

That distinction is confirmed by Washington’s December 8, 2025 announcement, which identified Ertz’s injury as a season-ending ACL tear. The available official record does not support saying that Zach Ertz suffered the MCL sprain. Instead, it connects two separate facts: Goedert’s injury created a need for tight-end depth, while Ertz was coming back from his own earlier ACL injury.

Why the reunion matters without proving a new role

The NFL report places Ertz’s return in historical context: he spent nine seasons with Philadelphia and recorded 579 receptions for the Eagles. That leaves him 11 receptions short of Harold Carmichael’s franchise record of 589.

Those numbers explain why his name carries weight in Philadelphia, but they do not establish how the team would use him now. The official material supports a meaningful connection between player and franchise and a reported practice-squad signing. It does not confirm playing time, an active-roster elevation, or a return to his former role.

The useful takeaway is simple: the MCL phrase describes the Eagles’ roster situation around Dallas Goedert, not Zach Ertz’s injury history. Ertz’s reported status is a practice-squad reunion, while the team’s own transaction page had not yet posted the move at the time of review.