Detroit Lions add Super Bowl winner Zach Ertz with TE room in flux ahead of NFC title game
The Detroit Lions are adding a veteran with Super Bowl experience to the mix, with their tight end room depleted by injury.
The Lions signed veteran tight end Zach Ertz on Monday, one day after Brock Wright left their divisional round playoff win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a forearm injury.
Wright, who caught a key 29-yard pass on the Lions' third quarter touchdown drive Sunday, left the locker room with his arm in a sling and is expected to miss this week's NFC championship game against the San Francisco 49ers.
The Lions placed No. 3 tight end James Mitchell on injured reserve earlier this month after he suffered a hand injury in practice that required surgery, and starting tight end Sam LaPorta has played the past two weeks through a hyperextended knee.
LaPorta set an NFL rookie tight end playoff record with nine catches Sunday.
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Ertz has played 11 NFL seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals. He made three Pro Bowls in Philadelphia, was part of the Eagles' 2017 championship team where he scored the Super Bowl-winning touchdown against New England, and spent time in Arizona with current Lions tight ends coach Steve Heiden.
The Lions considered signing Ertz after LaPorta injured his knee in a Week 18 win over the Minnesota Vikings, but put that move on hold once it became obvious LaPorta avoided major injury.
Mitchell was injured in practice that same week, and the Lions have used fullback Jason Cabinda and tight end Anthony Firkser off their practice squad as backups.
Ertz, 33, brings more proven experience as a pass catcher and in big games than either of the Lions backup options, and could contribute as soon as this week given his familiarity with Heiden.
He has 709 catches for 7,434 yards in his career, was the Eagles' second-leading receiver in Super Bowl LII with seven catches for 67 yards. He caught 27 passes for 187 yards with one touchdown in seven games for the Cardinals before asking for his release earlier this season.
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Along with Wright, Lions coach Dan Campbell indicated Sunday left guard Jonah Jackson also is unlikely to play against the 49ers after leaving the Bucs game with a knee injury.
Kayode Awosika, who started three games in the regular season, finished Sunday's win at left guard, and likely will start at the position against the 49ers if Jackson can't play.
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions sign Zach Ertz with tight end room in flux
