The Washington Commanders and the rest of the NFC East teams are currently being featured on the in-season addition of “Hard Knocks.”
The in-season version of the show gives viewers a peek behind the curtain to see what teams deal with every week. For teams like the Commanders, you get to see how they deal with a disappointing season. Injuries have decimated the team and it has to deal with missing the postseason one year after making it to the NFC Championship Game.
On the latest episode, the crew caught a cool moment between veteran tight end Zach Ertz and 2024 second-round tight end Ben Sinnott. In Week 14, Ertz suffered a scary, season-ending injury. However, the veteran is still at the team facility and is doing all he can to mentor Sinnott and the other young guys.
Ertz and Sinnott were seen watching Sinnott’s practice tape, and Ertz was giving the young pass-catcher pointers. Ertz was wearing a brace on his leg, and after the film study was done, Ertz hobbled out of the room on crutches.
It’s very impressive to see Ertz hanging around the team even though he can’t play. Even more impressively, Ertz is a free agent after this season, so it wouldn’t have been surprising to see him leave the team and go rehab and prepare for 2026.
Instead, Ertz is choosing to see the season out with the Commanders and do all he can to provide positive reinforcement.
Before getting injured, Ertz had 50 catches for 504 yards and four touchdowns in 2025. In Week 13, the tight end moved to 5th in all-time catches by a tight end, showcasing how impressive he’s been during his 13-year career.