Are the Ravens still negotiating for Zach Ertz while he waits?

According to Ian Rapoport, free-agent tight end Zach Ertz is likely to postpone signing a contract until next week. That makes sense as players who are not rostered on Wednesday cannot appear in any game the following Sunday even if they're added to a team, thus making it reasonable for Ertz to wait until next Monday to make his final decision.

Several playoff teams are reportedly in the running to sign Ertz, with the Eagles, 49ers, and Ravens. All of those squads were highlighted by Rapoport as teams to watch in the Ertz sweepstakes, in a report that contradicts John Harbaugh's statement made earlier this week.

Adam Schefter added the Chiefs and Bills to the mix on Dec. 1. He doubled down on naming the Eagles and the Ravens as teams to keep a close eye on as they are also considered Super Bowl contenders and could benefit from signing the superstar tight end for the postseason.

In the 2023 season, Ertz has played in seven games, securing 27 passes for 187 yards receiving and a touchdown while rostered by the Arizona Cardinals prior to his sudden and mutually-agreed release last week.

During his Monday press conference leading up to the Week 14 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh addressed the speculation around the potential addition of veteran tight end Zach Ertz.

Despite Ertz's release and the ongoing rumors connecting him to the Ravens, Harbaugh emphasized the team's satisfaction with their current tight end lineup even though the Flock is missing TE1 Mark Andrews most probably for the remainder of the regular season and perhaps deep into the playoffs.

For this week at the very least, Baltimore will have to go with backup tight ends Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar as their main players at the position.

That said, and even after Harbaugh's comments, there is a chance that Baltimore and head coach Harbs simply tried to avoid any pressure and fool their opponents by making those statements earlier this week while still working on a deal with Ertz in the shadows.

It is expected that Ertz will choose to sign with a Super Bowl contender with the Chiefs the strongest candidates to land him based on pure interest, the Eagles favored because of their past relationship with Ertz, and the Ravens based on the lack of a bonafide TE1 for the next month of play.

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