Zach Ertz might be done for the season — and perhaps longer.
The longtime tight end, who has been with Washington for the last two seasons, injured his knee with 6:42 remaining in the third quarter on a short completion over the middle when hit low directly to his right leg while still in the air by Vikings safety Jay Ward.
The questionable hit caused Ertz’s leg to buckle immediately, and he went down clutching the knee before medical staff reached him.
The Commanders fear that Ertz, 35, suffered a torn ACL as a result of the hit.
“Early signs say a serious injury,” Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said.
Ertz remained on the turf for several moments while trainers evaluated him.
After attempting to sit up, Ertz was unable to put any weight on the leg.
He was then helped to the sideline by members of Washington’s medical staff, and he was further evaluated on the sideline and in the blue medical tent.
A few minutes later, Ertz was carted to the locker room, appearing visibly emotional as he was driven off the field.
“He’s one of the linchpins of our team,” Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin said following the game. “I ain’t going to lie; it was tough for everybody.”
To make matters worse, the Commanders lost 31-0 to the Vikings, dropping them to 3-10 on the year.
“This guy is one hell of a competitor in every way,” Quinn said. “To see the frustration and emotion with that, all of us are feeling that.”
They also lost starting quarterback Jayden Daniels to another elbow injury, subbing in Marcus Mariota during the contest.
Ertz finished with one catch for 11 yards in the game.
The catch marked his 50th of the season, which put him over 500 receiving yards on the year.
