Getty Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz.

It’s a story that keeps repeating itself when it comes to Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.

Count Washington tight end and three-time Pro Bowler Zach Ertz among the latest to tell it.

“A lot of times you talk about rookies like, ‘This guy is going to be good.’ Jayden is good now,” Ertz told NBC 4 TV’s JP Finlay on Aug. 6. “It’s really what he sees, and I’m trying to learn his perspective. I’ve got to be able to play on his timing, play on his speed, and get open.”

Daniels was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft after winning the Heisman Trophy at LSU in 2023. He will start the Commanders preseason opener on Aug. 10 at the New York Jets.

Daniels has also seemingly taken hold of what was supposed to be an open quarterback competition between Daniels and veteran Marcus Mariota, who Washington brought in on a 1-year, $6 million contract.

Ertz signed a 1-year, $3 million contract with the Commanders in March and is listed on the depth chart as the starting tight end ahead of veteran John Bates and rookie Ben Sinnott.

Ertz Trying to Extend Career After Down Seasons

Ertz, 33 years old, was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2013 NFL draft and was one of the NFL’s better tight ends for most of the last decade.

With Philadelphia, Ertz made three consecutive Pro Bowls from 2017 to 2019 and was part of the Eagles’ Super Bowl-winning team following the 2017 season. He had at least 700 receiving yards every season from 2014 to 2019 and had a career year in 2018, when he set an NFL record for tight ends with 116 receptions to go with 1,163 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns.

Ertz also holds Philadelphia franchise records for most receptions in a single game (15) and mosts receptions in a single season (116). He missed five games with an injury in 2020 and had career lows of 335 receiving yards and 1 touchdown.

In 2021, Ertz was traded to the Arizona Cardinals midway through the season and bounced back with 74 receptions for 763 yards and 5 touchdowns. His play landed him another big payday after he signed a 3-year, $31.65 million contract with the Cardinals in March 2022.

Over the last two seasons, Ertz has missed 17 games due to injury and was eventually released by the Cardinals toward the end of the 2023 season and finished the year on the practice squad for the Detroit Lions.

Real Battle Might Be For TE2 on Commanders

If the vibe is right between Ertz and Daniels, the real battle might be for the backup tight end spot on the roster between Bates and Sinnott, a second-round pick out of Kansas State.

Bates, 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, has been a steady presence for the Commanders since they drafted him in the fourth round out of Boise State in 2021. He’s only missed one game in his first three seasons and has made 19 starts.

Bates had his best receiving season as a rookie in 2021 with 20 receptions on 23 targets for 249 yards and 1 touchdown but went without a touchdown for the first time in his career in 2023 with 19 receptions on 27 targets for 151 yards.