An MRI confirmed the Washington Commanders’ fears: Veteran tight end Zach Ertz suffered an ACL injury in the team’s 31-0 loss to the Vikings Sunday, ending his season and jeopardizing his career.

Ertz, 35, was injured on a pass play in the third quarter when safety Jay Ward attempted to hit him low and slammed his helmet into Ertz’s right knee.

Ertz grabbed the back of his right leg after hitting the ground and quickly signaled for the Commanders’ medical staff. He limped off the field with the help of athletic trainers and was later carted back to the locker room, in tears.

“He has meant a lot to our team, both on and off the field,” coach Dan Quinn said. “He’s been an ideal teammate to help set a standard about habits, and so we’re all bummed for him.”

Losing Ertz deals a major blow to Washington’s offense, which has struggled to find any consistency amid injuries and player turnover this season. Through Week 13, a total of 22 Washington players had missed a combined 99 games because of injuries, with the receiving corps hit especially hard.

Quinn added that quarterback Jayden Daniels was “sore” after landing on his left elbow — the one he dislocated in Week 9 against the Seattle Seahawks — but that further examination revealed no “long-term concerns.” Daniels’ status for Sunday’s game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium is uncertain. 

Ertz, however, hadn’t missed a start since he first signed with the Commanders in 2024 — significant especially considering his previous three seasons in the NFL were plagued with injuries and left him wondering if he’d ever be close to the same player he was in his prime.

Marcus Mariota comforted an emotional Zach Ertz on the injury cart 🙏

(📺 FOX) pic.twitter.com/zr4Cqopyhs

— ESPN (@espn) December 7, 2025

“I really didn’t know what the future held,” he said in January. “I didn’t know if I was going to be done after I didn’t get picked up for a long time last year. I had opportunities to play, but it wasn’t the right opportunity. So when (offensive coordinator) Kliff (Kingsbury) got this job and (Quinn) got this job, it was really an opportunity for me to just fall back in love with the game again, I would say, and really just enjoy the process again and just be around people that know how to use me and allow me to be at my best.”

Ertz became an instant go-to target for quarterbacks Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota, accounting for 19 percent of the Commanders’ targets since the start of last season. In his two seasons with Washington, he collected 116 receptions (sixth-most among tight ends in that span) for 1,158 receiving yards (10th) and 11 touchdowns (tied for fourth). Ten of his scores were off red-zone plays.

Along the way, the 13-year veteran and three-time Pro Bowler continued to climb the record books for tight ends. In Washington’s Week 13 loss to the Denver Broncos, Ertz moved up to fifth all time in catches by a tight end, and eighth all time in receiving yards by a tight end. He ended Sunday’s game with 825 career receptions and 8,592 receiving yards.

Whether he’ll be able to pad those numbers remains to be seen; Ertz is set to be a free agent in March and now faces a lengthy recovery.