Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz had to be carted off of the field on Sunday afternoon after a low hit from a Minnesota Vikings defensive back.
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Ertz, 35, leapt into the air on a third quarter play as he attempted to corral a pass. The ball bounced off his hands as Vikings defender Jay Ward went for a low hit. The defensive back collided with Ertz's leg — the replay angle did not show if he hit the quadriceps or the knee. Regardless of location, Ward delivered a hard enough hit to bend the tight end's knee backwards.
Ertz rolled over Ward's body and landed on his back. Vikings defender Blake Cashman dove toward Ertz but somersaulted between his legs and landed on the ground. Cashman and Ward both got up, but Ertz remained on the ground in pain. He had to be helped from the field by members of the training staff and then ultimately carted away.
This is a dirty hit by Jay Ward (#24 Vikings) that has left Zach Ertz down on the field and needing assistance from the trainers to leave the field.
No place for this on the football field. Disgusting play. pic.twitter.com/6eQcVQvDd7
— Chad Ryan (@ChadwikoTWW) December 7, 2025
Head coach Dan Quinn spoke to reporters about the injury after the 31-0 loss. He did not have the full details, but he said Ertz's ACL remained the area of concern.
"Early signs say a serious injury for Zach Ertz," the head coach said. "That's hard. Man, this guy is one hell of a competitor in every way and to see the frustration and emotion with that, all of us are feeling that. He'll have the imaging tomorrow, but I wanted to give you that update from an injury standpoint."
Prior to sustaining the injury, the veteran tight end had caught one pass for 11 yards on two targets. According to NFL Media, he participated in 34 snaps before leaving the field.
Ertz is not the only member of the offense who left the field with the injury. Quarterback Jayden Daniels, making his return from a dislocated left elbow, did not finish the game. He fell hard to the turf after throwing an interception to linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel and injured that same elbow. However, the team expects Daniels to be back in action next weekend against the Giants.
"Obviously, he fell on his elbow, which he was questionable to return and could have," Quinn said about Daniels. "It was my decision to sit him out. As a team at this point, we were off and felt like that was the right call for us to go."
