Zach Ertz has expressed his desire to join a playoff contender, and it appears that at least one is showing interest—the San Francisco 49ers. Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports that the Niners are among the "most interested" in the three-time Pro Bowl player.
The move makes sense. The 49ers have long searched for a tight end to complement George Kittle, their All-Pro playmaker. Ertz could prove to be an ideal fit for that role. He played college football at Stanford and grew up in the region.
Longtime backup Ross Dwelley suffered a high-ankle sprain during Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles and will miss multiple weeks.
#49ers are believed to be one of the teams most interested in TE Zach Ertz, who may wait until next week to decide. SF theoretically could put TE Ross Dwelley (high-ankle sprain) on IR to make room. Imagine Shanahan is all for adding a veteran weapon with a SB ring to the roster
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) December 6, 2023
Best known for his time with the Philadelphia Eagles, Ertz has been with the Arizona Cardinals since 2021. The Cardinals recently waived Ertz, and he went unclaimed, making him a free agent available to sign with any team.
This week, Kyle Shanahan was questioned about the 49ers' interest in Ertz. The head coach downplayed the possibility of adding the veteran tight end but didn't completely rule it out.
"I know John looks into all that stuff," Shanahan said. "I haven't heard anything about it now, so I wouldn't think so at this time. But I have a lot of respect for him as a player. I've always been a fan. But right now, at least from my standpoint, we're good with our group. But we have injuries, and things change, so we'll look in all options, as always."