Lions would be smart to explore keeping Zach Ertz around in the offseason

The Detroit Lions signed veteran tight Zach Ertz after Brock Wright was injured against the Buccaneers, but it's unclear if he will even play in the NFC Championship Game.

Whether he plays or not, Ertz can be valuable for the Lions both now and potentially in the future. It's hard to miss the symbolism of the Lions signing a 33 year-old late in the playoffs.

Now healthy after suffering an ACL tear late in 2022 and seeing his season slowed by a quad injury in 2023, Ertz decided he wanted another chance. In Detroit, he found a team that offered him the perfect situation. Ertz displayed smarts and class when discussing what the Lions must do to win

"When you get to this point of year, it should be the most selfless version of football that you can play. It's all about the team at this point. The stats don't matter. No one cares about how many catches I had in the Super Bowl or how many catches I had in the NFC Championship."

That mindset certainly resonates with Dan Campbell. And Ertz added his appreciation for the Lions head coach.

"I love Dan (Campbell) obviously. We had a 20-minute conversation (Tuesday), so I'm excited to kind of see him in front of the team because he's a guy that I've had a lot of respect for over the years and he's a guy that always gets his tight ends playing the right way. I'm excited to be around him."

The Lions could easily explore keeping Zach Ertz next season

Ertz is a stage of his career where a narrow segment of teams will appeal to him come the offseason. That's not to say he'll retire if he doesn't sign with a contender in the offseason, but the best fits will be teams that are set up to succeed and where his veteran leadership will fit best.

If nothing else, the Lions' have a young group of tight ends (Sam LaPorta, James Mitchell and Wright). Ertz seems to fit nicely.

Add it up and Ertz may not be going anywhere, whenever the Lions' season is over.