A healthy scratch for the Lions-49ers NFC Championship Game was made by an ex-Eagle.
However, the team disclosed that Ertz will not be activated when they play the 49ers in San Francisco. Only those who are added to the 53-man roster on gameday are active, with Ertz still a member of the Lions practice squad.
In a message on X on January 27, 2024, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said, “The Lions are not activating Zach Ertz off the practice squad for Sunday’s NFC title game, per source.” “The team will hold him out, but Ertz put in a lot of preparation work all week.”
After signing a practice squad contract with the Lions, Ertz would once again become a free agent in the event of a Detroit defeat. It’s possible that Ertz won’t play for Detroit again if the Lions are unable to spring an upset. It’s possible that Ertz may re-sign with the Lions this offseason, even in this scenario.
Zach Ertz, the former star of the Philadelphia Eagles, hasn’t played since October 22.
Due to a forearm injury sustained by backup tight end Brock Wright, Detroit signed Ertz. Despite playing with a knee ailment, Lions starter Sam LaPorta has been able to participate in the team’s last two postseason games.
Since October 22, Ertz has not participated in a snap; it is unclear how much of an influence the tight end can have. Ertz is most likely acting as a backup plan in the event that LaPorta re-aggravates his knee.
On November 30, Ertz was released by the Arizona Cardinals at his request. With four NFL clubs remaining before the Super Bowl, the former Pro Bowler stayed unsigned until days before the championship weekend.
Zach Ertz Was Also Interested in Signing with the San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers were among the teams with which Ertz had been associated. Matt Barrows of The Athletic thinks that because Detroit had more needs, Ertz chose to join the Lions over the Niners.
In a mailbag piece published on January 27, Barrows stated, “Yes, I believe they were interested in Ertz throughout, but only if one of their main contributors went down with a long-term injury.” For instance, if Jennings had been wounded on Saturday, and especially if George Kittle had been hurt, I could see the team going after Ertz. However, they had no intention of using him for the mainly special teams job of Brayden Willis or Ross Dwelley.
Samuel’s damage to his shoulder was intriguing. Ertz may have been a serious contender if that had been a chronic problem. However, the 49ers were aware early in the week that Samuel would have a strong chance to play on Sunday, as the Lions only had one tight end on the 53-man roster—Sam LaPorta—due to an injury to tight end Brock Wright. For this reason, Ertz might play against the 49ers on Sunday rather than for them.
Following Ertz’s release, ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed that the Eagles were a possible destination for him. However, the former great tight end for the team never made it back to Philadelphia. Whether the Eagles sign Ertz as a free agent is something to watch.
For Heavy.com, Jonathan Adams writes about the NFL and NBA, concentrating on the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Cowboys, Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Philadelphia Eagles. Numerous publications, including NFL.com, Yahoo Sports, Pro Football Talk, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report, and Sports Illustrated, have highlighted his work. Additional details regarding Jonathan Adams
