Arizona Cardinals tight end Zach Ertz is eyeing a Week 1 return.
Ertz (knee) has been cleared for full football activity and is on track to start in the 2023 season opener in Washington, NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo reported Monday, per a source informed of the situation.
Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon confirmed later Monday that Ertz will be removed from the physically unable to perform list this week, adding, "He's fired up."
The 32-year-old tore his ACL and MCL in Week 10 last season. In 10 games played, Ertz generated 47 catches for 406 yards and four touchdowns for the Cards.
A pass-catching threat and willing blocker, getting Ertz back on the field nearly nine months after the knee injury will be a boon for Arizona, which enters 2023 with plenty of question marks in offensive coordinator Drew Petzing's first season.
When Ertz is activated off PUP, it will leave quarterback Kyler Murray as the only Cardinals player on the list.
Want to follow these storylines and more? NFL+ gives you the freedom to watch live out-of-market preseason games, daily coverage on NFL Network, the best NFL programming on-demand and much more! Plus, NFL RedZone is now part of NFL+ Premium! Learn more about NFL+.
