Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman on Monday pushed back against speculation that the club might bring back former tight end Zach Ertz, saying the team likes its current group at the position.
Reports last week connected the Eagles to Ertz, who spent the first nine seasons of his career in Philadelphia. One account said Ertz would “love to” return to the franchise that drafted him.
A follow-up report Monday from PHLY’s EJ Smith indicated a reunion remained possible from the team’s side.
Roseman met with reporters after the preseason and was asked directly about Ertz.
“We love what we have going on in our tight end room. I would say we have talked to Zach over a period of time, obviously, rehabbing his ACL, the relationship is just like a lot of our former players who’ve been here,” Roseman said.
He added, “Like anything else, we wouldn’t get into any conversations about anything other than from a big picture perspective. In my opinion, he’s one of the greatest tight ends to play the game, and I have tremendous respect for him. We’re also excited about the tight ends that we have.”
The Eagles kept four tight ends on the initial 53-man roster: Dallas Goedert, Johnny Mundt, EJ Jenkins and Eli Stowers.
Stowers, a second-round pick, was widely expected to lock down the backup job. A quiet offseason, however, left questions about whether he is ready for a consistent role.
Ertz remains one of the more accomplished tight ends of his era, particularly in an Eagles uniform.
Since entering the league in 2013 he has played 181 games, catching 825 passes for 8,592 yards and 60 touchdowns. He has also appeared in 11 playoff games, totaling 54 receptions for 536 yards and three scores. Ertz was part of the Eagles’ Super Bowl-winning team after the 2017 season.
Coming off a torn ACL, Ertz still produced in 2025 before the injury, catching 50 passes for 504 yards and four touchdowns.
At this stage of his career he would not challenge Goedert for the starting job, yet his experience and production have kept his name in conversations around the league.
Roseman’s comments suggested the organization values the existing tight end room while maintaining a cordial relationship with a former standout.
Eagles fans have followed Ertz’s career closely since he left Philadelphia, and the latest reports revived talk of a possible homecoming. The veteran has spoken positively about his time with the team, and the club has kept lines of communication open during his rehabilitation.
Whether that relationship leads to anything more remains unclear after Roseman’s remarks.
For now the Eagles appear set with the four tight ends they carried onto the 53-man roster as the regular season approaches.
