The San Francisco 49ers are still looking to add to their loaded roster after a blowout and statement win over the Philadelphia Eagles last week.
San Francisco just recently signed two-time Super Bowl champion defensive back Logan Ryan to help after All-Pro Talanoa Hufanga suffered a season-ending torn ACL.
It now looks like general manager John Lynch and Co. are looking to add to the other side of the ball. According to Matt Barrows of The Athletic, San Francisco is “believed to be one of the teams most in” on three-time Pro Bowl tight end Zach Ertz.
Ertz, 33, was just granted his release by the division-rival Arizona Cardinals after returning from a quad injury that cost him five games earlier in the season. Trey McBride had taken over as TE1 for the last-place Cardinals, leading to Ertz asking out.
- Zach Ertz stats: 709 receptions, 7,434 yards, 46 TD
Acquiring another capable pass-catching tight end would make a ton of sense. While George Kittle is one of the best players at his position, there is very little behind Kittle on the depth chart.
San Francisco 49ers could add Zach Ertz to the mix
Kittle (50 receptions, 735 yards, 5 TD) continues to be one of the best tight ends in the game. With that said, other 49ers tight ends have combined to catch two passes for 21 yards on the season.
San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan often likes to use two-tight end sets with one being a primary blocker. Given the fact that Kittle is among the best blocking tight ends in the game, adding Ertz would make a ton of sense.
Prior to going down to injury, the Pro Bowler had hauled in 27 passes for 187 yards in seven games for the Cardinals. From 2014-20 with the Philadelphia Eagles, Ertz averaged 75 receptions for north of 800 yards. He was then traded to Arizona during the 2021 campaign.
The 49ers already have elite skill-position talent in that of Kittle and running back Christian McCaffrey as well as wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel.
At 9-3, San Francisco is seen as one of the top Super Bowl contenders in the NFL. The team is averaging nearly 30 points per game. Ertz would certainly be a luxury, one that the 49ers can afford.
We’ll see what happens on this front.