On Friday morning, the Eagles traded one of their best players of all time.

Zach Ertz is now an Arizona cardinal.

The Eagles traded 30-year-old tight end for cornerback Tay Gowan and a fifth-round pick in 2022.

Ertz played the last game of his career with the Eagles on Thursday night at Lincoln Financial Field and was visibly emotional leaving the field. He knew when he entered the match that it would be his final as an Eagle; that’s why he was one of the captains of the draw before the game.

“It’s a tough day,” said Eagles general manager Howie Roseman. “As to why we did this, it was an opportunity. Opportunity for the Eagles, opportunity for Zach as we move forward. “

Roseman said he sat down with Ertz on Tuesday night and Ertz was well aware the exchange was likely to happen. The Eagles took a risk playing Ertz on Thursday night, but Ertz said it meant a lot to him to play in front of Eagles fans once again.

Ertz ended his Eagles career with 579 catches for 6,267 yards and 38 touchdowns. It will fall just below Harold Carmichael’s franchise reception record of 589.

This exchange ends a long saga between the Eagles and Ertz. But it ends on good terms.

Ahead of the 2020 season, Ertz and the Eagles were unable to secure a long-term contract extension, which created some animosity between the two sides and even led to an explosion between Ertz and the GM. Howie Roseman of the NovaCare Complex. Then Ertz had a slack year in 2020 and said tearful goodbye to fans in January. Only he stayed. On Friday, Ertz said he was glad he didn’t end his career with the Eagles on that note.

Throughout the offseason it looked like Ertz was going to be traded. But no trade took place and eventually he showed up to training camp and played six games for the Eagles this season.

Ertz handled the situation very professionally and said the fences had been fixed and an apology had been issued. It looks like he’ll be leaving Philadelphia without too much animosity towards the franchise. He has always loved the city. Ertz spoke to reporters for 17 minutes on Friday morning after the exchange. It’s very rare for players to speak after being traded, but Ertz is a rare person.

“This is home,” Ertz said. “Philadelphia is home.”

Ultimately, Ertz won’t be able to play his entire career in Philly, which is a shame.

But he leaves behind an impressive legacy. He’s made three consecutive Pro Bowls, finished second all-time in career receptions and, oh yeah, he grabbed the Super Bowl LII winning touchdown. Roseman said Ertz will one day be in the Eagles Hall of Fame.

Ertz was a second-round pick (35th overall) at Stanford in 2013. He learned from Brent Celek and ultimately became the same type of mentor for 2018 second-round pick Dallas Goedert.

Once Ertz leaves, the Eagles will likely prioritize securing an extension for Goedert, who is within a year of contract and is still considered an upward player in the organization.

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