Photo Credit; Getty Images
For Zach Ertz, this was much more than a mistake.
After tearing his ACL during the Washington Commanders' game against the Minnesota Vikings on December 7, the tight end will miss the remainder of the NFL season. He was attempting to catch a ball from Marcus Mariota, the quarterback for his team, when the tragic incident occurred.
The 35-year-old was clearly upset when he was taken off the field by medical personnel at U.S. Bank Stadium. He started crying while receiving treatment from the sidelines for what might be a career-ending injury.
Ertz, the father of Madden, three, and twins Kace and Kyren, 15 months, with wife Julie Ertz, placed a towel over his head and sobbed as trainers led him to the locker room for additional examination. The injury affected the entire team. While Jayden Daniels threw his helmet in fury, Mariota came over to soothe Ertz. Ertz will now undergo surgery to repair his torn ACL and will miss the remainder of the season. "He has meant a lot to our team, both on and off the field," Commanders coach Dan Quinn stated during a press conference on December 7, according to ESPN. "He's been an amazing teammate to help set standards and norms, so we're all disappointed for him."
But Ertz remains optimistic. He commented on Instagram the next day, "Broken but never beaten."
And the football pro has a lot of fans cheering him on. Brandon Graham responded, "Amen!! Keep going, dude!! He will bring you back stronger!" Carli Lloyd said, "You got this!"
Meanwhile, JJ Watt wrote, "Never, brother. Never."
