Commanders' Zach Ertz Shares Special Moment With Former Eagles Teammate After NFC Loss

Nothing like the support of a friend after a tough day.
Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz on Sep 29, 2024.
Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz on Sep 29, 2024. / Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

Sunday's NFC championship vs. the Philadelphia Eagles was certainly emotional for every Washington Commander, but it was probably more so for tight end Zach Ertz, who was facing off against his former team of nine seasons.

Suffice to say things did not go Washington's way in the end. But even in the throes of its victory high, Philadelphia really went out of its way to console the ex-Bird in his time of need.

In one example, Eagles fans cheered for Ertz as he left the field after the loss. Then, Ertz shared a special post-game embrace with ex-teammate Fletcher Cox, who called to him from the opposite side of the tunnel.

It's not possible to make out what they're saying as they hug, if they're saying anything at all, but it's clearly an emotional moment between the two—the embrace goes on for quite some time.

Watch that clip here:

The tight end and the defensive tackle shared the field from 2013 to 2021, at which point Ertz was traded to the Arizona Cardinals. Cox later retired an Eagle in March of 2024 after 12 seasons in the NFL.

Ertz eventually breaks the hug and jogs off toward (presumably) the locker room to reflect on what happened. But he's probably feeling a bit better after that meet-up with a friend.


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Brigid Kennedy
BRIGID KENNEDY

Brigid Kennedy is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, she covered political news, sporting news and culture at TheWeek.com before moving to Livingetc, an interior design magazine. She is a graduate of Syracuse University, dual majoring in television, radio and film (from the Newhouse School of Public Communications) and marketing managment (from the Whitman School of Management). Offline, she enjoys going to the movies, reading and watching the Steelers.