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Contract negotiations between the Philadelphia Eagles and Zach Ertz — which recently restarted last month — have come to an “abrupt halt,” according to a report from NFL Network.
The Travis Kelce effect. Well, it looks like the #Eagles and Zach Ertz will be done talking for a while. Ertz has two years left on his deal and we’ll see where it goes from here. https://t.co/jc8ujBLwO8
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) September 3, 2020
Ertz’s camp clearly isn’t happy with what the Eagles are offering. That’s unfortunate for him and his side.
From the Eagles’ perspective, this news is a welcomed development. As previously explained:
The feeling here is that the Eagles shouldn’t be in a rush to extend Ertz at this point. He’s signed through 2021 so he has two years remaining on his current deal. It’s not like there’s a rush to get ahead of the market now that it has already been set so high [with the George Kittle and Travis Kelce extensions].
The Eagles should see how the 2020 season plays out. Maybe the Eagles look to trade Ertz in 2021 if Goedert shows he’s capable of handling an even bigger role. Or maybe the Eagles decide they should keep both — an outcome the organization internally believes is at least possible — if their 12 personnel package proves to be very successful. Gathering data from the upcoming campaign can help the team decide what to do after the year is over.
The Eagles can revisit negotiations with Ertz after this season. He might be unhappy about that, which isn’t ideal, but that’s the way it’ll have to be for now.
To clarify, my understanding on Zach Ertz’s situation is the #Eagles have not closed the door on further discussions. This latest go-round didn’t result in a deal but they haven’t waved the white flag in the short term, and definitely not in the long term. Stay tuned.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) September 3, 2020