"I thought it was a mistake": Commanders TE Zach Ertz calls out NFL for Eagles rematch schedule

Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz began his professional career with the Philadelphia Eagles, playing there from 2013 to 2021. Now with the Commanders and in the same NFC East division, Ertz faced the Birds three times last season - twice in the regular season and once in the NFC Championship Game.

The Eagles got the better of their divisional rivals in the playoffs to advance to the Super Bowl, where they also beat the Kansas City Chiefs to win their second-ever championship. The Commanders have been tipped as one team capable of contending for a Super Bowl heading into the 2025 season. However, they must defeat the Eagles at some point in the season if they want to go all the way.

The Commanders are scheduled to face the Eagles twice in the regular season in 2025, but their first encounter won't be until Week 16. When asked about his thoughts on the scheduling during his appearance on the Up and Adams show, Ertz said:

"I thought it was a mistake. I mean, I don't know what goes into making the schedules, but I thought for the NFC Championship rematch, the first one to be Week 16, like you see here, I thought that it was who we play, what time we play, where we play."

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Zach Ertz expects a fun encounter between Eagles and Commanders in 2025

Zach Ertz said on the Up and Adams on Wednesday that the Philadelphia Eagles were better than the Commanders last year and that's why they won the Super Bowl. He added that he expects this year's matchup with the reigning champs to be entertaining.

"We're going to Spain," Ertz said. "We're playing Thursday night Week 2. So for us, it's gonna be—every year is a tough schedule, hard schedule. The Eagles games, the divisional games are always tough. But there's a reason that they won the Super Bowl there—they were better than us last year. "And so yeah, those games are going to be fun. But at the end of the day, we got a lot of games that matter just as much as that one throughout."

Ertz and the Commanders are poised to continue to compete in the NFC this season after a successful 2024 campaign. The team is confident that quarterback Jayden Daniels can continue to lead the offense after a strong debut season, especially following the personnel improvements they have made this offseason.

Edited by Krutik Jain