Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni and Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz needed to be separated after an altercation following their Week 16 matchup last Sunday, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Ertz has since downplayed the exchange, saying reports of the interaction have been “way overblown” and suggesting he has a good relationship with his former coach.

“Nick and I had a great relationship when I was there,” Ertz told reporters Thursday, “and we still have a great relationship. It’s definitely been blown way out of proportion. We spoke. We’re good. There’s no ill feelings on my part, and I don’t think there are any ill feelings on his part. It’s just something in the heat of the moment that probably got blown out of proportion and maybe [was] a misunderstanding. But him and I are fine. Everyone knows how I feel about that place and that building.”

After Washington pulled out a 36-33 victory over the Eagles on Sunday, Sirianni and Ertz reportedly got into a spat during postgame handshakes. Ertz went to initially shake Sirianni’s hand but, upon realizing the coach was still irked by his team losing, opted for a high-five. Sirianni apparently took exception to Ertz’s gesture, which led the head coach to chastise him for having just a single catch in the game.

That’s when Ertz reportedly got in Sirianni’s face, which prompted action from chief security officer Dom DiSandro (better known as “Big Dom”). The Inquirer reported also that Sirianni later called Ertz via Zoom to apologize. However, after the game, he was asked about the exchange and said, “We just say congrats … [Both] of us say congrats to each other.”

As for Ertz, he told the Inquirer postgame, “I’ll let him comment on what was said. To me, we just exchanged holiday pleasantries and kept it moving.”

Ertz, 34, spent the bulk of his NFL career (2013-2021) with the Eagles and currently ranks second on the franchise’s all-time receptions list. He also was on the team’s Super Bowl LII championship team in 2017, so while he may be playing for a division rival, he is a well-revered player for Sirianni’s franchise, making the ordeal even more noteworthy. 

Sirianni has been known to be fiery on the sidelines and recently even got into it with Eagles defensive line coach Clint Hurt following a penalty committed by Jalen Carter during the team’s Week 15 matchup vs. Pittsburgh.