The Washington Commanders got back one of their best offensive weapons from 2024 when tight end Zach Ertz agreed to re-sign on a one-year deal.

It was an easy decision for Ertz, who knew almost immediately after the Commanders' season ended that he wanted to be back. "The game maybe ended at 6 p.m. [in Philadelphia]," Ertz said, "So 6:01 p.m. maybe was when I knew I wanted to be back."

Ertz is beyond the point in his career where money is one of his primary motivations. He wants to win as many football games as possible and feels like Washington is the best place for him to do that. Here are three factors that played into his decision to stay in the DMV.

1. It feels like family.

Ertz received a warm welcome when he arrived at the team facility to sign his contract. There was a line of coaches waiting for him in the lobby, all looking to congratulate him on the deal. "It feels like a family," Ertz said, and that's something he hasn't always experienced during his NFL career.

"The energy is different here," Ertz said.

The greeting he got earlier in the week was not a surprise to Ertz. He spoke often during the season about how much he loved playing for the Commanders because of how the coaches and players treated each other. He said he "fell in love" with the process and standard head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Adam Peters were trying to establish, so much so that he knew he wanted to make it work so that he could stay with the team.

The word "family" gets thrown around a lot in sports, but Ertz said the Commanders are one of the teams that embody the philosophy of working it into their culture.

"People truly do care about other people's success," Ertz said. "And I think that is something that is rare in the NFL."

2. His connection with Jayden Daniels.

It didn't take long for Ertz and Daniels to connect once the quarterback was drafted No. 2 overall. Daniels' work ethic and preparation earned Ertz's respect, and their connection became one of the key pieces to the offense's success.

Ertz said during locker room cleanouts that he and Daniels were "just scratching the surface" with their connection, and now they get to build off it for another year.

"Just how we were able to grow throughout the season was something that I really enjoyed," Ertz said.

Although Ertz and Daniels' connection was strong from the start of the season, it wasn't until the second half of the year that Ertz turned into a red zone target. Six of Ertz's seven touchdowns came in the last seven games, including his two-score performance in the overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons.

Daniels tossed a two-yard pass to Ertz to give Washington a playoff berth, and while it was a difficult throw, he trusted that Ertz come down with it. It required Ertz to catch the pass with his knee, but that faith paid off.

"The timing that we were able to establish later in the year was really just some of the best that I've been around," Ertz said.

3. His bond with Kliff Kingsbury.

Ertz's history with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury during their days together with the Arizona Cardinals played a role in Ertz originally signing with Washington, and that bond continues to be a benefit for Ertz in his second contract with the team.

"It's very important," Ertz said. "For us, it's just an opportunity to be in the same system again."

It's clear that Kingsbury knows how to use Ertz and maximize his skill set. He had 574 receiving yards after the Eagles traded him to the Cardinals in 2021 and 406 yards with four touchdowns the following season. Ertz had an even better performance with Kingsbury as his play-caller in Washington with 654 yards and seven touchdowns on 66 catches.

So, Ertz is excited about what he can do with another year of being in Kingsbury's system as well as what the unit can do. Kingsbury helped give Washington one of the more productive and highest scoring offenses in the NFL last season, so there are high expectations to replicate the feat.

"Your understanding of the playbook, your understanding of the little details is just gonna grow so rapidly in that second year," Ertz said.