Zach Ertz warns Commanders ‘not to put any stock’ in last season’s playoff success with Jayden Daniels debut

Washington Commanders veteran tight end Zach Ertz is urging his teammates to reset their mindset as the 2025 season approaches. He warns that last year’s playoff surge shouldn’t become a crutch or a source of false security. As training camp nears, he emphasized that the fine line between winning and losing last fall must stay front of his mind.

In a conversation with Doug Farrar on Tuesday, Ertz noted that several of their victories hinged on the thinnest of margins.

"I think, I expect, this is gonna sound cliche, this is gonna sound the old veteran answer, but I expect us to hopefully not to put any stock into our success last year," Zach Ertz said.

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Zach Ertz had his best statistical performance in years with 66 receptions, 654 receiving yards, and seven touchdowns. He helped lead Washington to the 2024 NFC Championship Game alongside quarterback Jayden Daniels. Ertz continued:

"The reality of the situation is we won four or five, six games on literally the last play of the game; that if the ball bounces one way or the other, a ball gets deflected or they miss, they hit a field goal, whatever it is. Or they, they don't get stopped at the one yard line against the Saints than we're, we're possibly talking about a completely different situation."

Zach Ertz stresses the importance of earning success again

NFL: NFC Championship-Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles - Source: Imagn

Zach Ertz expanded on his concerns about the team's fragile regular-season record. He acknowledged their playoff performance while pointing out they failed to reach their ultimate goal of a Super Bowl:

"And so, yeah. In the playoffs, we played some really good football, but at the same time we didn't, we didn't hit our ultimate goal one, which was the Super Bowl. And two, the season could have been extremely different if we just lost a few more games. "And so for me, the message is we got a lot of new players, we got a lot of new talent on the roster. And all that talk, all those expectations, I mean absolutely nothing, when the ball is snapped against the giant sweep on. And so I hope that is the message. I hope that is the expectation within the building."

The Commanders spent the offseason reshaping their supporting cast, including the high-profile addition of receiver Deebo Samuel. A two-time Super Bowl participant, Samuel surpassed 1,400 receiving yards in his breakout year.

Beyond new faces, much of the optimism centers on Daniels, who set a rookie rushing record for a quarterback last season and was named Offensive Rookie of the Year. His dual-threat production, over 3,500 passing yards and nearly 900 rushing, fueled Washington’s transformation from a middling NFC squad to a contender.

Edited by John Maxwell