The Washington Commanders made their first key offseason signing and reunited offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury with one of his former players.
The Commanders and veteran tight end Zach Ertz agreed to a one-year deal, his agency confirmed on Thursday.
Ertz, entering his 13th season, agreed to a contract worth up to $5 million, a source told ESPN. NFL Network first reported the terms of the contract.
Ertz, 33, played parts of three seasons in Arizona, including 21 games with Kingsbury in 2021 and '22.
Appearing on "The Pat McAfee Show" on Thursday, Ertz said playing again for Kingsbury and the chance to play for new Commanders coach Dan Quinn appealed to him.
"Kliff has been a huge part of my success the past few years in Arizona and so when he got the job in Washington and I was a free agent, it was very easy for me to say, 'hey, this is a place that I would love to play for,'" he said. "They've essentially redone the entire building since I came into the league. New owner, new GM, a new head coach and I've never heard anyone say a bad word about Dan Quinn and so I'm extremely excited to play for him and to get back on the East Coast is going to be fun."
He spent seven games with the Cardinals last season, catching 27 passes with one touchdown, before going on injured reserve with a quadriceps injury. He asked for his release one month later. He signed to the Detroit Lions' practice squad the week before the NFC Championship Game but was not elevated to the active roster for that game.
The Cardinals traded for Ertz in October 2021. Under Kingsbury, Ertz caught a combined 103 passes for 980 yards and seven touchdowns. Ertz missed the final seven games of '22 with a knee injury.
Washington had a need at tight end after releasing veteran Logan Thomas on Friday. The Commanders have a blocking tight end in John Bates but no proven pass-catcher. They also have Cole Turner, who has caught 13 passes combined in his first two seasons, and Armani Rogers, who missed last year with an Achilles injury suffered in spring practice. He caught five passes in 11 games as a rookie after converting from quarterback, the position he played in college.
Ertz spent his first nine seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, catching 579 passes with 38 touchdowns. He made the Pro Bowl each season from 2017 to '19.