In the brutal theater of the NFL, where fortunes flip on a dime, the New York Giants will unwillingly benefit amid the Washington Commanders’ despair: Zach Ertz, their perennial NFC East tormentor, is likely done for the season — and perhaps his Hall of Fame-caliber career — after a savage Week 14 hit.The 35-year-old tight end, lunging for a third-quarter pass in a 31-0 rout by the Minnesota Vikings, absorbed a low blow from safety Jay Ward that twisted his right leg into a nightmarish contortion, as chillingly captured in viral footage.Brutal: It’s hard to believe Zach Ertz will be able to bounce back from this injury.At 35 years old, this is likely the last we’ll see of him on the field.One of the best to ever do it 🙏pic.twitter.com/1x62hdUAAk— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) December 8, 2025Helped off before being carted away under a towel-draped shroud of agony, Ertz awaits Monday’s imaging for a feared torn ACL — a blow that Commanders coach Dan Quinn deemed “serious,” robbing his squad of a “hell of a competitor.”For Big Blue, it’s a ghost of relief presented in an unwanted way heading into Sunday’s Week 15 rematch at MetLife Stadium. Ertz has haunted them relentlessly: 84 catches, 956 yards, and eight touchdowns across 17 career games, including a three-reception, 26-yard day with a score in Washington’s 21-6 Week 1 victory.Ertz was no mere rival; he was a maestro of mismatches, a savvy chain-mover who forced our secondary to scheme sleepless nights. Yet, in the Giants’ locker room, admiration eclipses any schadenfreude.Although Ertz was a deep thorn in the Giants’ side throughout his career, you hate to see anyone go out that way.This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants unlikely to see Zach Ertz again after gruesome Week 14 hit