Zach Ertz Nearly Got Traded from Eagles to Bills in 2021: 'It Was Almost a Done Deal'

After the Buffalo Bills selected tight end Dalton Kincaid in the 2023 NFL draft, it appeared the team fixed one its few offensive holes. However, they nearly filled that gap with an experienced playmaker two years ago.

Zach Ertz, a tight end for the Arizona Cardinals, recalled his experience on the trading block after receiving Frank Reich's 20th annual Call to Courage Award in Buffalo. Ertz said that Buffalo was interested in acquiring him from the Philadelphia Eagles.

"I was getting traded out of Philadelphia," Ertz said Saturday after accepting the 20th annual Call to Courage Award. "There were a couple teams extremely interested, Buffalo being one of them. It was almost a done deal, but it just didn't get over the finish line."

Ertz said that one person on the Eagles staff held up the deal. He would eventually be traded to the Cardinals.

The Bills have made multiple attempts to address the tight end position. Dawson Knox is the main option, but finding a solid second starter has been a challenge. After missing the chance to grab Ertz, the team signed Jacob Hollister and eventually signed veteran O.J. Howard during free agency in 2022. Neither player had a lengthy stay with the team.

The Bills used the 25th pick to select Kincaid, who was rated as the third-best tight end in the 2023 draft class by Bleacher Report's NFL Scouting Department. He played 26 games across three seasons for the Utah Utes, earning 1,414 yards and scoring 16 touchdowns.

Ertz, a three-time Pro Bowler, has caught 103 passes for 980 yards and seven touchdowns since joining the Cardinals. He signed a three-year, $31.7 million deal in 2022 that contains an opt-out after the 2023 season. He suffered a season-ending injury during the 2022 season.