Eagles Rumors: 'Optimism' Zach Ertz Plays vs Seahawks Despite Back, Rib Injuries

Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz may play his team's home NFC wild-card matchup against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday despite injuries that have kept him limited in practice all week, per John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia:

Eagles head coach Doug Pederson told reporters earlier Friday that Ertz had not yet been cleared for contact.

The tight end missed his team's Week 17 tilt with the New York Giants due to a fractured rib and lacerated kidney, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

At this point, Ertz and the Eagles may be in a race against the clock. It's certainly helpful that Philadelphia plays in the last wild-card time slot this weekend, with kickoff slated for 4:40 p.m. ET on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field.

Ertz would be a welcome sight to a team that has been ravaged by injuries. Of note, the top three wideouts on the team's Week 1 depth chart—Alshon Jeffery, DeSean Jackson and Nelson Agholor—are all out.

The ex-Stanford Cardinal star leads the team with 88 catches, 916 yards and six receiving touchdowns on 135 targets in 15 games. He's been an instrumental part of the offense with Philadelphia shorthanded for most of the season.

If the seventh-year tight end can't go, then Dallas Goedert will be the top tight end on the depth chart.

Goedert has 58 catches for 607 yards and five touchdowns on the year. He's become more of an offensive focal point in each of the past seven weeks, amassing a minimum of six targets per game. The second-year tight end has been excellent over the last five games in particular thanks to a 27-318-1 stat line.

Joshua Perkins would be the second tight end in two-TE sets and back up Goedert. He caught four passes for 50 yards and a touchdown against the Giants in his first extended action of the year last Sunday.

Philadelphia is a 1.5-point underdog to Seattle, per Caesars Sportsbook.