Commanders’ Zach Ertz Sobs as He’s Taken Off the Field After Potentially Career-Ending Leg Injury

NEED TO KNOW

• Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz suffered a potentially career-ending injury during their crushing loss against the Minnesota Vikings on Dec. 7

• Vikings safety Jay Ward ran directly into Ertz’ leg as the tight end was in the air going for a pass in the third quarter

• Receiver Terry McLaurin said seeing his teammate take the hit was “tough for us all”

Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz was visibly emotional after suffering a potentially career-ending injury to his leg.

Ertz, 35, took the tough hit at the end of the third quarter during Washington’s game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Dec. 7. Ertz was in the air going for a pass when Vikings safety Jay Ward ran right into his leg, causing him to fall hard onto the field.

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Medical staff quickly attended to Ertz, who needed to be helped to the sidelines after the hit. The tight end threw a towel over his head and was crying as trainers placed him on a cart to go back to the locker rooms.

Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota was seen by his teammate’s side, comforting an emotional Ertz before game play resumed.

After the Commanders’ brutal loss, scoring zero points in the matchup to the Vikings’ 31, head coach Dan Quinn said, per ESPN, the “early signs say a serious injury” for his veteran tight end, who fans are concerned won’t return to the NFL after the injury.

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“This guy is one hell of a competitor in every way,” Quinn said of Ertz, per ESPN. “To see the frustration and emotion with that, all of us are feeling that,” he added.

Quinn told media that Ertz will undergo imaging on the leg on Monday. ESPN’s Commanders reporter John Keim reported that the team fears Ertz suffered a torn ACL.

Receiver Terry McLaurin spoke to reporters about Ertz’s injury after the game, saying, “I ain’t going to lie; it was tough for everybody,” according to ESPN.

McLaurin added, “He’s one of the linchpins of our team,” while discussing his teammate.

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Commanders tight end John Bates told media, per ESPN, “It breaks my heart when you see a great one like him, an all-time great [get hurt].”

Bates said Ertz is a “pro’s pro,” and does “everything the right way, the way things should be done.”

One fan on X said the collision between Ertz and Ward was “the worst hit I’ve ever seen” and another called it a “brutal hit.”

Read the original article on People