The Arizona Cardinals got some good news on the injury front following their come-from-behind win against the Broncos in the preseason opener. Veteran tight end Zach Ertz has been cleared for full football activity and is on track to suit up for the Cardinals in their Week 1 opener against the Commanders, according to NFL Media.
Ertz tore his ACL and MCL in Week 10 of last season, which cut his 2022 campaign short. The 32-year-old has not previously been taking part in training camp as he continued his rehabilitation, but that will soon change with him now cleared to resume football activities.
This is a rather speedy recovery for Ertz as he only suffered the injury roughly nine months ago, so the Cards should find themselves fortunate that they'll have their dynamic tight end on the field to begin the regular season. That's especially true considering that quarterback Kyler Murray, who will now be the only Cardinals player on the PUP list, is also coming back from a torn ACL, but is expected to be sidelined for the start of the year. Having Ertz in the fold in the passing game should help keep things afloat until Murray gets the green light from the team's medical staff.
Ertz was acquired by the Cardinals in the 2021 season in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles, the club he'd spent his entire career with until that point. In 21 games played for Arizona, Ertz has continued to be a force in the receiving game, catching 103 passes for 980 yards and seven touchdowns.
