For all the things that the Washington Commanders have tried to solve under general manager Adam Peters, one position quietly sits at the crossroads of short-term necessity and long-term uncertainty.
At tight end, Zach Ertz has been a steady hand — a chains mover, a red zone threat (when he doesn't slip), and still crafty enough as a route-runner to give Kliff Kingsbury answers in the quick game. But he is in his mid-30s, and Washington knows full well that whatever he is in 2025, the clock is ticking.
John Bates, meanwhile, has carved out one of the clearest identities on the roster.