Eagles sign TE Zach Ertz to five-year extension

After the season ended, Eagles management told tight end Zach Ertz that the team wanted to sign him to a contract extension during the offseason. Ertz expected it to take longer than three weeks, but the Eagles followed through on Monday.

Ertz signed a five-year extension through the 2021 season that will pay him $42.5 million with $20 million guaranteed, according to a league source.

The deal makes Ertz one of the highest-paid tight ends in the NFL and also fortifies the 2013 second-round pick as a foundation piece for the franchise.

"I just wanted to be in Philadelphia, and whatever price that took, that's what I wanted to do," Ertz said. "And I want to be here for a long time. I want to be here for my entire career, and that's one of the main reasons" he took the deal.

Ertz, 25, considered the athletes he admired as a child: Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant and Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten. Both have remained with the same teams throughout their entire careers. Ertz yearned for the same opportunity.

He also mentioned Brian Dawkins, Donovan McNabb, and Brian Westbrook, former Eagles whose names remain relevant even into retirement. That's the type of profile Ertz wants to create among Philadelphia fans.

"When people think of great tight ends in Philly, I want to be the guy that they think of," Ertz said. "These guys have left lasting legacies in this city. Those are the guys that I want to be mentioned with."

In three seasons with the Eagles, Ertz has 169 catches for 2,024 yards and nine touchdowns. He finished with 75 catches for 853 yards and two touchdowns in 2015, although his best numbers came in the final weeks of the season. Ertz averaged 8.75 catches for 112.5 yards during the final four games, and he eclipsed 100 yards in both of the final two weeks.

"The last four weeks were great, but at the same time, that's what I expect out of myself each and every week," Ertz said. "Those eight-catch games are what I expect out of myself. It's nothing out of the ordinary in my eyes. The thing that did come with those four weeks is we were 2-2, and that kind of stuck out to me. I go for wins. I don't go for the stats."

He signed the deal without detailed knowledge of Doug Pederson's system or who will play quarterback. Ertz has vouched for Sam Bradford to return, but that will require a contract negotiation more complicated than the one Howie Roseman just completed to sign Ertz.

"He wants to be in Philadelphia," Ertz said of Bradford. "Whether he's back here or not, that's none of my business, honestly. He's going to do what's best for him, and the Eagles are going to do what's best for us. But at the end of the day, I think he does want to be here."

Ertz spoke to Pederson on Monday. The conversation focused mostly on returning to Philadelphia. But Ertz said he is "extremely excited" about Pederson's offense and is looking forward to what Pederson and former Eagles coach Andy Reid, now with the Kansas City Chiefs, did with tight ends in the past.

One of those tight ends, Travis Kelce of the Chiefs, made the Pro Bowl this season. Kelce is part of the 2013 tight end draft class that also includes Cincinnati's Tyler Eifert and Washington's Jordan Reed. They are also eligible for contract extensions, but Ertz did not wait to see how the market settled before reaching his deal.

Ertz didn't even want to wait to see how he performed in his fourth season and potentially raise his value. Steve Caric, Ertz's agent, played devil's advocate and offered Ertz both sides of the argument. Caric said the "happiness of the client" must drive the decision, and Ertz wanted to be in Philadelphia.

"That was definitely an option that I looked into," Ertz said of waiting to re-sign. "I don't play the game for financial success. . . . I don't really care about the money, honestly. All I care about is winning football games, and this commitment that the Eagles have placed in me is something that I take a lot of pride in."

Even with much unknown going forward, Ertz is in position to be a staple in the Eagles offense. His ambition is to be considered among the franchise's best players, and the contract on Monday at least gives him an opportunity.

"Growing up, I never would have expected to be the face of a franchise," Ertz said. "But at the same time, I think the work that I've put in has put me in this situation. I'm not going to be satisfied. Being the face of the Philadelphia [Eagles], I think it comes with a lot of responsibility."

zberman@phillynews.com

@ZBerm

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