Zach Ertz received the ultimate Christmas present on Sunday when he broke the record for single season tight end receptions.
He went into Sunday's game with 101 catches, nine away from breaking Jason Witten's record of 110. Ertz piled up nine catches for 56 yards and a touchdown to tie the record before half time. A determined Ertz came into the third quarter and received a 9-yard reception bringing him to 111, claiming the new record. But he wasn't done yet, as he got another touchdown in the fourth quarter, finishing the game with 12 catches and bringing his season tally to 113.
Ertz has always looked up to Witten since a young age. When Witten retired, he gave his jersey to Ertz. He took to twitter to explain his reasoning behind giving him the jersey. "In 15 years, I gave my jersey after a game one time. Zach Ertz earned my respect- not only one of the best all-around at the position in our game, but handles his business the right way. The impact we have on others- it matters. Best of luck to you."
Ertz was clearly ecstatic when he posted a picture of himself showing off his new Witten jersey. Ertz explained that when he was 17 and was figuring out what being a tight end meant, he started to follow the Cowboys tight end and tried to be just like him. Ertz wants to set a good example for others like Witten showed for him. Witten congratulated Ertz via twitter after he broke the record. Ertz says " Jason Witten has been a huge part in this, so technically I think he still has the record."
Ertz talked about what breaking the record means to him in a press conference after the game. Doug Pederson spoke about Ertz, saying "He's a guy that just wants to continue to just help the team win and dish the ball and put in our playmakers' hands. Really not getting much credit, just let the other guys do it." Being the humble guy that Ertz is, he does not care about personal records if the team is not winning. However, with the Eagles being on such a hot winning streak, hopefully Ertz will celebrate his new PR.
