Report: Cardinals' Ertz out for season with knee injury

Arizona Cardinals tight end Zach Ertz will miss the remainder of the season due to a knee injury suffered in Sunday's win over the Los Angeles Rams, sources told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Initial reports indicated Ertz was facing a multi-week absence but still needed to undergo tests to determine the injury's severity.

The three-time Pro Bowler leads the team in catches (47), targets (69), and receiving touchdowns (four). He also ranks third in receiving yards (408).

With Ertz done for the year, the Cardinals will likely rely more heavily on their strong wide receiver corps of DeAndre Hopkins, Marquise Brown, Rondale Moore, Greg Dortch, and A.J. Green.

Brown has been out since Week 6 with a foot injury, but head coach Kliff Kingsbury said Monday that he's nearing a return, according to Donnie Dulin of FanNation.

Trey McBride and Stephen Anderson, Arizona's backup tight ends, have combined for four catches and 33 yards this season.

The Cardinals acquired the 33-year-old Ertz last October in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he established himself as one of the NFL's best tight ends across eight-plus campaigns.

After racking up 56 catches for 574 yards and three scores in 11 appearances in 2021 for Arizona, he signed a three-year extension reportedly worth $31.65 million in March.