Don’t expect KC Chiefs to be in on Zach Ertz trade

The NFL trade block is heating up with the 2021 NFL Draft coming into view as teams want to shed any unwanted or too expensive veterans in exchange for any potential draft assets that could be utilized on the first-year player draft that begins on Thursday in the first round. Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz is one name earning considerable attention, with several teams already reportedly interested in a deal.

Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network says there are “six to seven teams in the running” for Ertz at this point, which means a deal should be imminent with that many suitors. However, he fails to name any specific franchises, and for our purposes, it should be noted that no one in Chiefs Kingdom should expect the K.C. Chiefs to be a part of things.

On the surface, a potential marriage makes sense here, which means fans might see the Chiefs mentioned in conjunction with Ertz if someone is trying to connect some predictive dots. The Chiefs have already stated that they want to bring in some tight end help this offseason to ease the burden on Travis Kelce. Given the addition of another game in the regular season and the Chiefs’ penchant for deep postseason runs, it’s a lot to ask Kelce to carry the load at tight end with very little behind him.

To date, however, the only roster moves made has been the re-signing of Blake Bell, primarily a blocking tight end, to replace Deon Yelder, who was allowed to leave in free agency. The team brought back Nick Keizer as an exclusive rights free agent, but neither player will be gifted a roster spot without further competition. Sean Culkin and Evan Baylis are also present on the roster, but the draft is likely to make the tight end room a bit more crowded.

A Zach Ertz trade doesn’t make sense for KC Chiefs.

As for Ertz, if the Chiefs were a fantasy football team, the veteran would make a fine addition who could provide another top-tier pass catching threat at the position. Kelce could rest up at key moments and the Chiefs could certainly frustrate opponents with two-TE looks that would prove devastating to defend against. Ertz is a decorated tight end with three Pro Bowls on his resume and 561 career receptions.

Unfortunately, the Chiefs aren’t constructed in such a vacuum, which means financial considerations enter the equation. Ertz has a cap hit close to the likes of Julio Jones at $12.7 million this season, which no one is going to pay for a second tight end, even if it adds such an exciting wrinkle to the offense. In addition, Ertz averaged a scant 4.7 yards/target in ’20 and played in only 11 total games after dealing with a high ankle sprain.

While it sounds good to feature an offense with both Kelce and Ertz in another Super Bowl run, the cost is too prohibitive and Ertz isn’t exactly trending in a positive direction. Combine this with the reported ask of a third round pick (at present) and the move would just be silly. There might be six or seven teams in on Ertz at this point, but it’s a fairly safe bet that the Chiefs won’t be one of them.