Cardinals waive veteran TE Zach Ertz after request to be released

Zach Ertz‘s time in Arizona is over, at his request.

The veteran tight end asked for and has been granted his release from the Cardinals, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported on Thursday.

Former Cardinals teammate and future Pro Football Hall of Famer J.J. Watt first reported the news. The team confirmed the release shortly thereafter.

Ertz joined the Cardinals via trade prior to the deadline in the 2021 season, wishing Philadelphia a tearful goodbye before moving west to join a supposed contender. He caught 56 passes for 574 yards and three touchdowns in his 11 games played that season, one in which Arizona finished 11-6 before bowing out in a Super Wild Card Weekend loss to the eventual champion Los Angeles Rams.

Ertz followed 2021 with a 47-catch, 406-yard 2022 season that included four touchdown catches, but as the Cardinals shifted toward a rebuild in 2023, he found himself losing targets to rookie tight end Trey McBride. With the youngster catching fire in recent weeks, it became clear Ertz likely would not figure into the franchise’s plans beyond 2023. And with the Cardinals sitting near the bottom of the league standings at 2-10, Ertz chose to seek work with a contender in the remaining six weeks of the regular season.

The 33-year-old was under contract through 2024 after signing a three-year deal with Arizona in 2022. He likely won’t see the end of that contract unless a team claims him off waivers, but he can offer experience and production to a prospective suitor in need of a threat at tight end.