Bill Belichick jokes with Zach Ertz about trading for Eagles TE originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Bill Belichick has a sense of humor when he’s not addressing the media, and one reporter witnessed Belichick’s light-hearted side up close Monday in Philadelphia.
The Patriots head coach caught up with Eagles tight end Zach Ertz and met Ertz’s wife, U.S. women’s national soccer team star Julie Ertz, after New England’s joint practice session with Philly.
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According to WPVI’s Jamie Apody, that’s when Belichick cracked a joke to Ertz about the Patriots trying to trade for him.
Belichick even took a friendly shot at Howie Roseman, joking that the Eagles general manager wanted “two first-round picks and two of my grandchildren” to part with Ertz.
Belichick clearly is a lot more candid around players than he is with the media, and Apody provided a great glimpse into what the “real” Belichick is like here.
It’s also clear that the Patriots coach is a big fan of Ertz, who tallied at least 75 catches and 800 receiving yards in five consecutive seasons from 2015 to 2019 as one of the NFL’s most consistent tight ends.
So, does Belichick’s back-and-forth with Ertz mean he actually tried to trade for the three-time Pro Bowler this offseason? After all, Ertz was rumored to be on the trade block this offseason with “multiple” teams in the mix.
We’ll never know unless Belichick tells us (don’t hold your breath), but it seems likely that his Patriots at least considered adding Ertz before signing Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry in free agency.
And while Ertz turns 31 in November after a down season in 2020, we wouldn’t be surprised if he remains on Belichick’s radar going forward.