Zach Ertz knew Eagles were going to trade him before loss to Buccaneers?
It was believed throughout the spring and summer months that the Philadelphia Eagles would trade three-time Pro Bowl tight end Zach Ertz before the start of the season, but no transaction materialized. That changed on Friday, however, when Philadelphia shipped Ertz to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for cornerback Tay Gowan and a 2022 fifth-round draft pick.
Less than 24 hours before that trade was confirmed, the Eagles made Ertz a team captain for Thursday's prime-time matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that Philly lost 28-22 to fall to 2-4 on the season. According to The Athletic's Zach Berman, Ertz knew what was coming before he entered the lineup to face Tampa Bay.
The 30-year-old who had been with the Eagles since they selected him in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft finished his last Philadelphia outing with four catches for 29 yards and the team's first score of the evening.
He admitted to feeling emotional about the process while speaking with the media Friday.
Because Ertz played Thursday night, he's ineligible to take the field for the unbeaten Cardinals in Sunday's game at the 3-2 Cleveland Browns.
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