With Ertz ailing, Birds bring Rodgers back
With Zach Ertz ailing, the Eagles brought back tight end Richard Rodgers.
The Eagles reached an injury settlement with Rodgers before the season due to a Lisfranc injury. Healthy again, he adds veteran experience at tight end.
Ertz has cracked ribs. His availability is in question Sunday when the Eagles try to clinch a playoff berth with a victory over the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium.
Rodgers (6-foot-4, 257 pounds) knows the Philly offense. He played seven games for the Eagles in 2018 after spending four years with the Green Bay Packers, where he was Aaron Rodgers’ celebrated Hail Mary target.
“There is familiarity there,” offensive coordinator Mike Groh said of the Eagles’ latest skill position fill-in player. “He knows our system, (our) terminology. It’s just kind of getting re-acclimated. Obviously putting on pads and playing football is a lot different than what he’s been doing. Regardless of how much he’s been thinking about playing, we still have to get him out there.
“Rich is very dependable, he’s conscientious and we know he’ll do a good job.”
The Eagles signed Rodgers to a twoyear contract late last March and he spent the offseason in the program. But he suffered the foot injury in training camp and was released Sept. 11.
Ertz suffered the rib fracture stretching to catch a high, off-target throw from Carson Wentz in the Eagles’ 17-9 win over the Dallas Cowboys last Sunday.
It was a clean hit by safety Xavier Woods. Ertz returned to the game and played 59 total snaps. His availability hinges on how much pain he can handle.
Ertz has 525 receptions since entering the NFL in 2013, the most by a tight end in his first seven seasons. Cowboys legend
Jason Witten, who was in the game Sunday, previously held the mark with 523 catches.
With wide receiver J.J. ArcegaWhiteside nursing a foot injury, the Eagles also signed wide receiver Deontay Burnett off the practice squad to the 53-man roster.
“I think he has really good body control, tracks the ball really well and catches the ball well,” Groh said of Burnett. “Josh McCown was with him last year in New York and they called him up. I think it was around Week 8. He went to Chicago and had a nice game when he did that. He’s picked it up well. He’s been able to come in here and get acclimated quickly.”
To make room for the personnel additions, the Eagles cut running back Jay Ajayi and put cornerback Ronald Darby (hip) on injured reserve.
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NOTES » Doug Pederson is 6-1 as
Eagles head coach against the Giants, including two straight victories at MetLife Stadium . ... Giants counterpart Pat Shurmur is 0-4 against the Eagles, one of the losses coming as head coach of the Cleveland Browns . ... Giants quarterback Daniel Jones threw for 352 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions and a 132.1 rating in a 41-35 overtime victory at Washington last week. He’s the only rookie with 300 or more passing yards, five or more TDs and zero picks in a game . ... Giants running back Saquon Barkley had a career-high 279 scrimmage yards last week, including a career-best 189 rushing yards. He also scored two touchdowns . ... Giants receiver Golden Tate, who spent the last half of the 2018 season with the Eagles, led his team with 96 receiving yards last week. Tate has four TDs in his last five games . ... The Eagles (8-7) are 4.5-point favorites over the Giants (4-11).