We've heard former Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz wanted to return for a 14th NFL season in 2026. Ertz, who will be 36 in November, suffered a torn ACL in Washington's Week 14 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on December 7. Now, Ertz has confirmed he wants to play in 2026.

"I don't want it to be the last play that I have," Ertz told Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "Even talking to people now, and they do it out of the goodness of their hearts, and [they say], 'Man, that injury was tough.' When people think of my career and that last play, I don't want that to be the conversation starter.

And so, for me, it's just doing everything I can to get back to my best because I felt like I was playing really good football before I got hurt."That's understandable. Ertz was still playing well for the Commanders last season, catching 50 passes for 504 yards and four touchdowns in 13 games last season. In 2024, Ertz started all 17 games, caught 66 passes for 654 yards and seven touchdowns.

He also started all three of Washington's playoff games. Ertz spent the first 8.5 seasons of his NFL career with the Philadelphia Eagles before he was traded to the Arizona Cardinals in 2021. He played 2.5 seasons for the Cardinals and signed with the Detroit Lions practice squad in January 2024, but did not play.

Ertz was an integral part of Washington's offense over the past two years, becoming a favorite of quarterback Jayden Daniels. However, the Commanders moved on from offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, who is close with Ertz, and signed Chig Okonkwo in free agency. So, while the Commanders have left the door open for Ertz to return, there doesn't appear to be any room.

Ertz understands. "I'm going in with eyes wide open," he said. "I'm not going in with a lot of expectation. If I was a team I probably wouldn't expect me, based on the injury, based on my age — 'Hey, this is our Week 1 starter.'

But I do think if I can get back to myself, that I'm still that same guy."Don't count out Ertz. Due to his age and injury recovery, Ertz will probably have to wait until closer to the season to sign with a team. This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: TE Zach Ertz confirms his 2026 plans