Via Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com, Eagles coach Chip Kelly said the tight end Zach Ertz has a core muscle injury, and won’t play the rest of the preseason.
He’s still expected to be fine for the start of the regular season, but the Eagles wanted to give him time to rest. He’s seeing Dr. Williams Meyers (the sports hernia specialist in Philadelphia who did Arian Foster’s surgery), but Kelly didn’t know if Ertz would need or already had any kind of procedure.
Kelly didn't rule out surgery, but the hope is by shutting him down now Ertz will be ready to go for Week 1. That's not locked in stone, however. Brent Celek is next up on the depth chart but has spent more time as a blocker last year. He is a proven pass-catcher, though. Kelly said Trey Burton, the team's TE3, has been doing a nice job in camp thus far so he could be in line for more time. If Ertz does have surgery, a Week 1 return might not be possible because the standard timetable is 6-8 weeks. This was supposed to be his bust-out year, but owners drafting in the near future will have to have a backup plan in case he needs surgery and misses the start of the season.
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