Report: Talks between Zach Ertz, Eagles break down over reduced offer

Zach Ertz may eventually get a payday that is similar to the ones we saw for Travis Kelce and George Kittle, but he is going to have to wait a while longer.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that talks broke down between Ertz and the Philadelphia Eagles after the team offered him less guaranteed money recently than they were offering last year. The offer was also reportedly for less than the $10.5 million annually Austin Hooper is making with the Cleveland Browns.

Sources: Negotiations between the #Eagles and TE Zach Ertz came to an abrupt halt when PHI made an offer that had less guaranteed money than their offer in November. The backloaded offer also had less cash over the next 4 seasons annually than Austin Hooper’s #Browns contract.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 3, 2020

It’s unclear why the Eagles would reduce their offer, but it could have something to do with the uncertainty surrounding the NFL amid the coronavirus pandemic. Still, Ertz is almost certainly looking for something close to what Kittle got from the San Francisco 49ers and Kelce got from the Kansas City Chiefs.

Ertz is under contract for two more seasons with the Eagles. He’s set to make $6.6 million in 2020, and he has outperformed the five-year, $42.5 million deal he signed back in 2016. The 29-year-old only has one season with 1,000-plus yards receiving, but he has averaged well over 800 yards every year since 2015.

Ertz would have a tough time arguing that he should make as much as Kittle or Kelce, but he deserves more than Hooper. The Eagles know they have him under contract for two more seasons, so they’re probably content slow-playing the situation. Of course, that could always result in a holdout or an unhappy star.