Arizona Cardinals tight end Zach Ertz could have taken a few days to get his personal situation in order after being traded by the Philadelphia Eagles last week.
Ertz had played in the Eagles’ Thursday night game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before being dealt to the Cardinals last Friday. Being ineligible to play Sunday in Cleveland anyway, Ertz could have just waited for the team to return from their victory over the Browns to start getting up to speed with his new team. Instead, Ertz joined up with the team in Cleveland to get a jump start on learning his new teammates and playbook.
“I was exhausted but it was so worth it,” Ertz said, via Darren Urban of the team’s website. “I felt the energy, and you feel the leadership on this team.”
Ertz is joining a Cardinals team that remains as the league’s only unbeaten team through the first six weeks of the season. He will help Arizona replace Maxx Williams, who was lost for the season to a right knee injuries sustained two weeks ago against the San Francisco 49ers.
Ertz said on Wednesday that he had no assignment errors in his first practice with the Cardinals. That’s a good sign that he’s on pace to be ready to make his debut with the team this Sunday against the Houston Texans.
“One thing a lot of great players are able to do is compartmentalize things, and you have to as an NFL player,” Ertz said. “All my focus right now is learning this playbook, meeting the guys and being the best tight end I can be.
“It’s full speed ahead against the Texans on Sunday. I’m excited to be a Cardinal.”