Commanders see value in Zach Ertz, Austin Ekeler

ASHBURN, Va. -- The Washington Commanders signed Zach Ertz and Austin Ekeler in free agency hoping they could provide a boost for a young quarterback, who turned out to be Jayden Daniels .

Each veteran arrived with an impressive resume; each arrived with questions about his future.

That's why the Commanders felt good this summer watching Ertz, a tight end with 700-plus career receptions, and Ekeler, a running back who produced 18 touchdowns as recently as 2022, develop connections with Daniels.

Time after time Daniels would find Ertz on crossing routes. Ertz called it his best summer in a while.

"I do have a chip on my shoulder," Ertz said.

Ekeler became a trusted target on underneath routes -- with occasional wheel routes down the sideline. Ekeler said he wants to remind everyone he can still play "at a high level."

If both Ertz and Ekeler return to pre-2023 production, then they'll provide considerable help to Daniels. Both will play integral roles on offense; Ertz as the No. 1 tight end and over-the-middle target and Ekeler as a third-down back.

Both players did not have the kind of 2023 season they wanted, thanks in part to injuries.

Ertz's season ended on injured reserve for the second season in a row -- but, he said, he didn't think he was hurt enough to go on the list in 2023.

Regardless, Ertz said having his season shut down on Oct. 24 because of a quad strain provided him extra time to prepare for 2024.

"I feel good; I feel young," Ertz said. "This has been one of my best camps in a long time. Emotionally I'm in a really good place. Spiritually, I'm in a really good place."

But he also knows how he might be perceived entering his 12th season and turning 34 in November -- after missing 17 games combined the past two years.

"People are going to say, 'Oh, he is getting older; there's a reason he missed so many games. He's lost it,'" Ertz said. "But ... I feel better now than I did four years ago."

He said that after an offseason where he reunited with his college strength and conditioning coach, Shannon Turley; and he said Washington coach Dan Quinn's practices helped keep him fresh. "He understands this is a marathon."

And Ertz is happy to be reunited with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, his head coach for parts of seasons in Arizona. Ertz caught a combined 103 passes in 20 games with Kingsbury.

"I feel almost rejuvenated," said Ertz, who has 709 career receptions and 46 touchdowns. "I play my best when people believe in me. Kliff is one of the top two coaches I've ever been around in terms of believing in me.

"When he left Arizona I was in a tough place. He was the coach I wanted to finish my career with."

Quinn said Ertz's experience can help, particularly in the red zone. Ertz tied for ninth in the NFL with eight red zone touchdowns in 2021-22. Everyone else tied or ahead of him played at least two more games than he did during this span.

"He's got just feel and eyes. He's able to share that information; you could see how valuable that would be," Quinn said.

Ertz said he notices more efficiency in and out of his breaks on all of his routes. He said he was encouraged not just that he was getting open in practice, he also was doing so vs. the New York Jets in a joint practice session last month.

And Kingsbury said his age provides wisdom, having experience in multiple systems and against numerous coverages.

"He's got a knack for being quarterback friendly, presenting himself in a way where he is always open, even if he shouldn't be open," Kingsbury said. "And for a young guy to know that he's always going to be an option and always give you somewhere to throw the ball it's huge."

To which Daniels says: Amen.

"It's been awesome having a savvy vet like him as a security blanket," Daniels said, "[and] to be able to just to pick his brain on what he sees or how he sees it."

But it's not just Ertz. Ekeler looked spry this summer and was able to turn in-rhythm checkdowns into extra yards during full-team work. The Commanders like that they can line him up all over -- in the backfield, split wide or even with another back on the field.

The plan is for Ekeler to serve as the third-down back with Brian Robinson Jr . as the primary runner.

In 2023, Ekeler finished with 1,064 total yards from scrimmage -- his lowest output since 2018 when he has appeared in at least 14 games. It was a 573-yard decrease from the previous season, though part of that stemmed from missing three games because of a right high ankle sprain in Week 1.

Before he got hurt, Ekeler had 164 yards from scrimmage. After he returned, he didn't top 123 yards -- and surpassed 100 yards only one other time. It didn't help that Ekeler sprained his left ankle later in the season.

Now, he said, "I'm healthy."

"Yeah, a down year and then I watch him and I'm like, 'This guy is tremendous,'" Kingsbury said. "He hasn't lost a step. He's as quick and as fast and as strong as I've seen him."

From 2019-22, Ekeler ranked eighth in the NFL in yards from scrimmage per game with 96.2. His 8.6 yards per catch was fourth among running backs, .2 yards behind Christian McCaffrey .

That's why Washington remains optimistic about how he can help this year. Quinn was even surprised by another aspect of the 5-foot-10, 200-pound Ekeler.

"I probably didn't know how strong he is. He is strong -- pound for pound probably our strongest player," Quinn said. "I knew he could catch out of the backfield, but using him outside, that was better than I expected."

It's easy to see why Daniels said he knows Ekeler can help him.

"Very savvy in the pass game, knows how to get open, can catch the ball naturally, and just picking his brain and just be able to communicate," Daniels said. "Everybody knows his background and his story of how he got here and he had to work and earn everything. He has that approach every day."

That's because Ekeler understands the skepticism.

"I know this league is brutal when it comes to how you're judged," Ekeler said earlier this offseason. "You're judged off of your last season. It's another opportunity for me to rebound and show that, hey, I can still play at a high level."