Heading into this season, Eagles TE Zach Ertz was prepared to have his best year yet. He trained day in and day out to be a difference-maker for the Eagles in 2015, but what he wasn’t expecting was to undergo surgery during Training Camp.
A core muscle injury meant Ertz would not have a preseason. His first time in a game setting with quarterback Sam Bradford and the other new faces on offense would come in Week 1 against Atlanta.
It’s been a process of learning and recovery for the third-year Eagle, but his numbers are back on the rise as he finds himself connecting with his teammates and once again fully healthy.
“I think blocking is something that I’ve improved on. The rolling the hips is kind of something that’s come along since the injury,” Ertz said. “I feel better running, that’s for sure. Breaking into my routes, I feel more comfortable and more confident in that regard. I think I’m 100 percent healthy now and I think that’s the big difference.”
Earlier in the year, the tight end struggled to recover, noting the Cowboys and Jets games were particularly difficult for him to play in. Slowly but surely, he’s begun to feel like his normal self and understand what he can and cannot do post-surgery.
In Weeks 5-7, Ertz had a combined 166 receiving yards on 14 receptions, accounting for over 60 percent of his total production this season. He feels he and Bradford are building a strong rapport on the field, something he thinks will continue to improve as the season progresses, the story said. He still needs to improve on his blocking, because despite improvement, it's something he's still struggled with at times this year, and it can keep him off the field as a result.
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