5 NFC West free agents 49ers would love to pluck away in 2022
By Peter Panacy
49ers NFC West free-agent target No. 4: Tight end Zach Ertz, Cardinals
He’s no longer the player he used to be when mentioned among the trio of NFL’s best tight ends. And San Francisco already has a Pro Bowl tight end in George Kittle anyway.
Still, there might be something to be said about the 49ers onboarding veteran tight end Zach Ertz, who filled in admirably for the Arizona Cardinals after being acquired last year in the wake of fellow tight end Maxx Williams’ season-ending ACL tear, ironically against the Niners.
Over 11 games with Arizona, Ertz managed a quality 56 receptions for 574 yards and three touchdowns, showing that even at 32 years of age, he still has what it takes to be a legitimate threat.
The Cardinals are likely to focus their efforts on bringing Williams, another pending free agent, back to the fray this offseason. Williams is younger and was responsible for plenty of elements in head coach Kliff Kingsbury’s offense.
That’ll likely make Ertz expendable. And while he might be looking for his last big NFL payout this offseason, the thought of joining head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense should be intriguing enough.
Besides, even with Kittle in the fold, Shanahan has long sought after a quality No. 2 tight end on the roster (see the 2020 addition of Jordan Reed).
Perhaps Ertz is the next option.