Zach Ertz on his altercation with Eagles’ Nick Sirianni: ‘I was over there acting all cordially when you beat me’

There was plenty to talk about after the Eagles’ loss to the Washington Commanders on Dec. 22 — whether it was Washington’s go-ahead touchdown with six seconds remaining to snap the Birds’ 10-game winning streak, 76ers owner Josh Harris celebrating on the sideline, or the altercation that took place between former Eagles tight end Zach Ertz and coach Nick Sirianni.

The altercation took place during the postgame handshake. Sources told The Inquirer’s Jeff McLane the brief dispute happened after Sirianni made a comment about Ertz’s performance. The two were then separated by Eagles chief security officer Dom DiSandro before he escorted Sirianni to the tunnel. Three months later, Ertz told his side of the story in greater detail.

“Going into that Philly game, I got hurt against the Saints the week prior and so I didn’t even know if I was going to be able to play in the game,” said Ertz on the Green Light with Chris Long podcast. “We get to Thursday and I can’t even lift my arms above my head because I had an AC sprain on one side and another SC sprain on the other side. And I had a concussion.

“So, I was just out there to make a difference, to try to draw attention away from some guys. I felt good on game day. I felt like myself on game day, but throughout the week I just felt horrible. And then after the game we win the game and I’ve played him four times, he’s beat me three times. And so the one time we won, it was like a big deal. So, that was kind of the thing. I was over there acting all cordially when you beat me. You kind of have to be on the other side. So, we were fine. We talked that night, it was no big deal. I think everyone blew it up just because of everything that happened in Philly. I was there, everyone knows how I feel about the place and everyone knows Nick as well. So, I don’t think it was a big deal.”

Ertz finished with one reception for 12 yards. But this isn’t telling of the success the 12-year veteran has found with the Commanders. In Ertz’s first season in Washington, the 34-year-old finished with 66 receptions for 654 yards and seven touchdowns, and many of his receptions came in critical moments.

Before making Washington his home, the three-time Pro Bowler spent the majority of his career in Philadelphia (2013-2021) — scoring the decisive touchdown in Super Bowl LII — before he was traded to the Arizona Cardinals.

Ertz recalled the first time he played against his former team in October 2022.

“The first time they [the Eagles] came to Arizona that got a lot of the angst out — going against [Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham and Darius Slay] and some of these guys and hearing BG trash talking on the side,” Ertz said. “A lot of the angst from that and seeing the guys was different. But then going to Philly that first time was hard.”

His first time back at Lincoln Financial Field was last season with the Commanders in a 26-18 loss.

“It was hard going back there. Especially that first time,” Ertz said. “Seeing people that you haven’t seen in forever. A place where I scored a touchdown at the end of the game in the first one and I’m still getting claps even though the game was kind of out of wraps.”

But the weirdest moment for Ertz came when the Commanders traveled to the Linc for the NFC championship game. He would have to compete against his former team for a chance at a Super Bowl appearance.

“It was going to be weird either way, honestly,” Ertz said. “If we won and we’re celebrating there — obviously, that’s the situation I wanted — but there’s still a little piece of me that thought it would have been weird celebrating the NFC championship game going to the Super Bowl in a place I spent nine years essentially.

“And then watching them celebrate was super weird as well. And then walking off the field and the fans are all happy and they’re cheering for me and still loving me. For me, everyone knows how I feel about the place. I wouldn’t change a thing about it. I loved my time there.”