ASHBURN, Va. — One of the Washington Commanders' newest additions to the team has announced some new additions of his own, just in time for the 2024 NFL season.
Tight end Zach Ertz signed with the Commanders from the Arizona Cardinals back in March. He and his wife Julie just announced the arrival of twin boys, Kace and Kyrie, in a joint Instagram post. They are seen in a black-and-white photo wearing name tags.
"Welcome to the world Kace and Kyren! The Ertz boys #twinning," wrote Julie Ertz, a retired soccer star and Olympian who appeared in two World Cup tournaments. In 2019, she won US Soccer's Female Player of the Year award. She was nominated alongside teammates Rose Lavelle, Carli Lloyd, Alex Morgan, Alyssa Naeher and Megan Rapinoe.
The Ertzes also have a 2-year-old son named Madden. At practice Thursday, Zach Ertz said he hasn't been losing sleep with the newborns at home.
"Julie is crushing it. She's an amazing mom. She's made this transition from world's best six to mom flawlessly. I'm so proud of everything she does. I'm so thankful for everything she does. The boys are doing great," he said.
Zach Ertz is in his 12th year in the NFL. He entered the league with the Philadelphia Eagles as a second-round draft pick (35th overall) in 2013. In his career, Ertz has appeared in 151 games with 113 starts with 709 receptions for 7,434 yards and 46 touchdowns. He is a three-time Pro Bowler and won a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017.
In 2023, Ertz started in seven games for the Arizona Cardinals and registered 27 receptions for 187 yards and one touchdown. He spent two seasons with the Cardinals after being traded to the team in 2021. Ertz was the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee for the Cardinals in 2022.
Ahead of the season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Zach Ertz said expectations are high for the Commanders behind rookie QB Jayden Daniels.
"The expectations are high not only for him, but the entirety of the offense. We don't expect Jayden to put on a Superman cape, and save us and put the offense on his back from day one, even though we know he can do that. At the same time, we expect Jayden to do what he's done this entire offseason: Show his poise, be composed in all situations and lead this offense," Zach Ertz said.
As far as his own play, he said he has built good chemistry with Daniels, but his overall goal is a simple one.
"Whether I have one catch, 10 catches — at this point in my career it's kind of irrelevant. I'm just here to win football games and do everything I can to help that."