The Denver Broncos know, better than most, that veteran tight end Zach Ertz is still capable of making a huge impact against elite defenses.
In a Monday night game against the Broncos last season, Ertz caught 10 passes for 106 yards on 13 targets, shredding the Broncos' defense for his most catches and yards in a regular season game since the 2019 season.
Ertz is a free agent in 2026, and is looking to play this upcoming season after spending the past two years with the Commanders. He's proven he's still one of the most effective all-around tight ends in the game, and has played in a lot of big games over the course of his NFL career.
With the Broncos -- and presumably Ertz -- chasing another Super Bowl this season, the timing is perfect for the team to (finally) make him their next free agent signing.
Zach Ertz should be the Broncos' next free agent signing as preseason closes in
After tearing his ACL last season, three-time Pro Bowl TE Zach Ertz officially has been cleared for all football activities and wants to play this season. He was at Stanford today catching balls from his college QB, Andrew Luck. Ertz is expected to be ready to sign in mid-August.… pic.twitter.com/Oihgg6zFrd
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 5, 2026
There has been plenty of talk early on in training camp about Evan Engram having a bounce-back year for the Broncos at the tight end position, but since the pads have come on, that talk has fizzled significantly.
Ertz might be a better fit for the Sean Payton offense with the Broncos playing more 11 personnel (1 RB, 1 TE), and requiring more out of the tight ends as blockers.
Other than a couple of standout days from Engram early on in camp, we have heard almost nothing from the Broncos' tight end position lately. That could change in a hurry, of course, but there are some obvious concerns looking back to last season where the Broncos had one of the least productive tight end positions in the NFL in the passing game.
And head coach Sean Payton doesn't forget when a player has a really good game against his team. Ertz playing well against the Broncos last year was especially maddening because the Broncos were coming off of their bye week. The 276 yards they gave up through the air to the Commanders was the second-most they gave up to a team all season.
Vance Joseph also coached with Arizona and crossed paths while Ertz was there, so the Broncos have a connection on the coaching staff already.
The Broncos have made just one free agent acquisition all offseason: Safety Tycen Anderson. As aggressive as they were in pursuing help for the offense by trading for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, signing literally just one free agent is not indicative of a team pushing all of its chips in the center of the table for this coming season.
This team has every incentive to sign a veteran like Ertz, who could be a huge safety valve for Bo Nix in the passing game.
With Adam Schefter reporting that Ertz is going to be ready to sign in the middle of August, there's a chance for the Broncos to make another move to get them one step closer to another Super Bowl. If the Broncos can only have one year of either Evan Engram or Zach Ertz, which one do you trust more this year?
Yes, the Broncos have young tight ends on the roster, but they can't chance the tight end position being a major area of weakness again this season with so much at stake.
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