NFL’s Zach Ertz Breaks Down in Tears After Brutal Leg Injury

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This was far more than a fumble for Zach Ertz.

Washington Commanders tight end suffered a season-ending ACL tear during the December 7th game against the Minnesota Vikings. The injury occurred while attempting to catch a pass from quarterback Marcus Mariota.

After being helped off the field at U.S. Bank Stadium by medical personnel, the 35-year-old player became very emotional, crying as he received treatment on the sidelines for what might be a career-ending injury.

After sustaining an injury, Ertz, a father of three young children – Madden, 3, and 15-month-old twins Kace and Kyren – visibly broke down in tears. He covered his face with a towel as trainers led him off the field for evaluation with his wife, Julie Ertz, watching.

The injury affected the whole team. Jayden Daniels showed his frustration by throwing his helmet, while Marcus Mariota immediately went to check on and comfort Zach Ertz.

Now, Ertz will have surgery to repair his torn ACL and will miss the rest of the season.

Commanders coach Dan Quinn said at a press conference on December 7th that the player has been incredibly valuable to the team, both as a player and as a person. Quinn noted he’s been a great teammate, helping to establish positive habits and a high standard, and that the whole team is disappointed for him.

Despite the setback, Ertz is staying positive. He shared on Instagram, with the message “Broken But Never Beaten,” that he won’t give up.

The football player has a lot of support from fans and fellow athletes. Brandon Graham wrote, “Amen!! Keep going my brother!! He’s going to make you even stronger!” Carli Lloyd added a simple, encouraging, “You got this!”

Meanwhile, JJ Watt wrote, “Never brother. Never.”

While Ertz recovers, here are some other celebrities who have openly shared their health struggles…

Nikki Bella, known from Total Bellas, shared that one of her breast implants moved after being hit during an elbow strike from wrestler Piper Niven in a match that took place in July 2025.

She reassured her sister, Bella Garcia, that they would get the issue resolved eventually. She explained to the doctor that as soon as she finished her current commitment – implying her retirement from boots – she would return to address the problem and ensure everything looked its best. She wanted to make sure things were presentable because she anticipated future activity and didn’t want it to appear neglected.

Lupita Nyong’o received a diagnosis of uterine fibroids—non-cancerous growths in or around the uterus—in 2014, the same year she won an Academy Award for her role in 12 Years a Slave.

She didn’t share her diagnosis until 2025, when she revealed on Instagram that she had been privately struggling with the condition for over ten years.

She explained that growing up, many of us are taught to expect period pain and accept it as a normal part of womanhood. This often leaves us dealing with a common issue in silence and feeling isolated.

 

In July 2025, the actress from Daisy Jones & The Six revealed she’d been hospitalized for a hernia. This happened because she’d been wearing pants that were too tight, which caused a gap to form in her abdominal muscles.

Someone messaged me on X, which used to be Twitter, saying, ‘Suki, you never tweet anymore!’ It really got me thinking… apparently, I wore pants so incredibly tight six months ago that I actually got a hernia! I’ve just been too embarrassed to mention it to her, but it’s been on my mind ever since.

The former star of Beverly Hills, 90210 shared in April 2025 that he was recovering from surgery to repair a nearly ruptured appendix.

I recently had a bit of a health scare I wanted to share. Last week, I started experiencing some stomach pain, and it ended up sending me to the ER. Turns out, my appendix had a perforation – it wasn’t quite burst, but it was very close! Thankfully, I’m on the mend now, but it was definitely a reminder to listen to my body.

He added, “I’m on the road to recovery. It’s not an easy process. This is my first major surgery.”

During a soccer game against Seattle Reign on September 14th at Lumen Field in Seattle, a midfielder for Racing Louisville collapsed after only a few minutes of play.

According to Reuters, the U.S. Women’s National Team player was seen slowly sitting down on the field with a teammate, before suddenly collapsing. Trainers were immediately called to assess her condition.

Savannah was given immediate medical attention on the field and then taken to a nearby hospital for more tests, according to a statement from the National Women’s Soccer League. They reported that she is currently in stable condition and is alert.

Adam Devine revealed that injuries from a cement truck accident he had at age 11 continue to cause him problems even now.

“It’s been incredibly difficult,” Devine shared on the In Depth With Graham Bensinger podcast in 2025. “I experience muscle spasms all over my body, and doctors recently told me I was facing a life-threatening situation—within the last year, actually.”

He explained that his pain is intermittent, saying his body has some minor imperfections and isn’t quite working as it should.

A former contestant on The Bachelor went to the hospital because of severe back pain. He described being in so much pain that he had to crawl on his hands and knees, and the pain worsened during a road trip with a friend.

He described a lingering tingling sensation in his knees and toes during a March 2025 episode of his podcast, Trading Secrets. He explained that just a few weeks or a month prior, he was able to squat 295 pounds, but now he can’t even do a squat or stand on one leg without falling. He compared the feeling to having a stroke.

But with the help of a back specialist and some steroids, he added, “We’re on the mend.”

Gina Kirschenheiter, from The Real Housewives of Orange County, revealed that her ex-husband, Matt Kirschenheiter, had a heart attack in March 2025, but he is now doing okay.

In March 2025, the actor known for 30 Rock experienced a medical issue at a New York Knicks game and had to be taken out of Madison Square Garden in a wheelchair.

The comedian later posted an update online, explaining he had food poisoning but was starting to feel better.

In February 2025, the former Even Stevens star revealed she was shot in the face during a birthday outing with her husband, Brendan Rooney. They were on a trip to go clay pigeon shooting when the incident occurred.

In an Instagram post, she explained that she was accidentally shot in the face by someone at a party. They fired a weapon unsafely, and she was hit five times. One of the shots came dangerously close to her right eye. @thebrendanrooney quickly helped her, evaluating her injuries and immediately taking her to the hospital.

The former Kim Possible star explained that a small piece of something got stuck behind their eye. Doctors have advised against removing it with surgery right now, and they’ll continue to monitor the situation, as their vision is currently normal.

As a huge fan, hearing her speak really struck me. She shared how incredibly grateful she is just to be alive. She talked about how much her daughters, husband, family, and friends mean to her, and it was so moving. She said she literally saw her whole life pass before her, and honestly, it was a powerful reminder to cherish the people we have and hug them whenever we can, because things can change so quickly.

Amy Schumer is grateful for the internet, despite its often harsh nature, because it helped her discover a health issue. After noticing she looked “puffier” during interviews, she was surprised to see doctors commenting online, concerned about her appearance and suggesting she might have Cushing syndrome. This led her to realize the condition could be linked to steroid injections she’d received after a breast reduction and C-section. Schumer shared that she wouldn’t have known about the condition without the online feedback. She recently received good news that her specific case of Cushing syndrome will resolve on its own, and she’s happy to be healthy.

Oh my gosh, you won’t BELIEVE what happened to him! Back in December 2024, during a game, he got cut by another player’s skate – it was awful! He needed 25 stitches just to close the wound. Thankfully, he’s fully recovered now, but his dad, Tom Fitzgerald – you know, the GM of the Devils? – told ESPN how incredibly lucky they were, and honestly, it broke my heart. He said he wouldn’t wish that on any parent, and I totally get it. It was just… terrifying to even think about!

In March 2022, Hailey Bieber experienced a frightening health scare while having breakfast with her husband, Justin Bieber. She suddenly began to have stroke-like symptoms, unable to speak and experiencing drooping on the right side of her face. Though these symptoms eventually passed, she went to the hospital for testing. Doctors discovered she had a small blood clot in her brain, which they identified as a TIA, or transient ischemic attack. Further investigation at UCLA revealed Hailey had a hole in her heart, called a patent foramen ovale (PFO). This hole allowed the blood clot to travel to her brain, causing the TIA. Hailey has since undergone a successful procedure to close the hole in her heart and is now doing well.

The same year Hailey faced a health issue, Justin also experienced one. In June 2022, he revealed he had been diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, a condition that caused temporary paralysis on one side of his face. This forced him to cancel the rest of his Justice World Tour.

In a video posted to Instagram, Justin explained the virus affected nerves in his ear and face, preventing him from blinking, smiling, or moving his nostril on the affected side. He also mentioned it became increasingly difficult to eat. Fortunately, the paralysis eventually went away.

Hailey shared on Good Morning America that Justin was recovering well and feeling much better. She described the situation as scary and unexpected, but expressed gratitude that he was going to be okay.

Jamie Foxx recently shared details about the health scare he experienced in April 2023, which he had initially kept private. In his 2024 Netflix special, What Had Happened Was…, he explained that he suffered a severe headache while in Atlanta. Before he could take aspirin, he lost consciousness and doesn’t remember the next 20 days.

He initially saw a doctor who gave him a cortisone shot and sent him home, but his sister, Deidra Dixon, became worried and took him to the hospital. There, doctors discovered he had a brain bleed that resulted in a stroke.

After surgery, Jamie woke up in a wheelchair on May 4th, unable to walk. He then traveled to Chicago for rehabilitation and therapy. He expressed deep gratitude for the prayers he received, saying, “I needed every prayer.”

The reality TV star said she briefly stopped breathing while running in the first challenge of the NBC competition show, describing the experience as feeling like ‘dying’.

Honestly, hearing her story on Fit for TV: The Reality of The Biggest Loser really stuck with me. She said she doesn’t recall much, just the sound of a helicopter and this strange feeling of floating. Then, incredibly, she described seeing her grandpa and then everything went dark. But then she saw light again, and in that moment, she knew she had died. It was so powerful and she was so certain about what happened that day.

She explained that her organs were failing. She hadn’t known she had rhabdomyolysis, a condition where the body essentially begins to shut down.

Emilia Clarke, known for her role in Game of Thrones, revealed a harrowing health battle in a 2019 essay for The New Yorker. While filming the series, she experienced a severe headache at the gym, followed by intense pain and vomiting. She quickly realized something was seriously wrong with her brain.

A hospital scan revealed she had suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage, a life-threatening stroke caused by a ruptured aneurysm. She underwent immediate surgery to repair it, but the pain was excruciating. During her recovery, she experienced aphasia, struggling to speak coherently.

Though she recovered and was discharged after a month, a 2013 scan revealed the aneurysm had grown and required a second surgery. This procedure was unsuccessful, leading to a massive bleed and putting her life at risk. Doctors had to perform a more invasive surgery, accessing her brain directly through her skull.

Fortunately, Emilia Clarke is now fully recovered and says she is “at a hundred per cent.”

Cori Broadus, Snoop Dogg’s daughter, recently shared her gratitude for her family’s support after she suffered a stroke in January 2024. She told TopMob News that she immediately texted her family with a picture, and they all rushed to be with her. Cori ended up staying in the hospital longer than expected due to complications from lupus and kidney issues. Thankfully, she’s now recovering well. “I’m doing great,” she said, adding that she’s been working to regain some motor skills but is otherwise feeling fine.

Shailene Woodley struggled with serious health issues throughout her 20s. In a September 2024 podcast interview, she explained that she experienced hearing loss, debilitating fatigue, and digestive problems. She saw many doctors, but received conflicting diagnoses.

Drawing on her background in herbalism and holistic health, Shailene sought answers from both traditional doctors and alternative healers, hoping to find relief and understand what was happening to her body.

The search for a solution took ten years. During that time, her physical discomfort led to anxiety around food and ultimately to struggles with body image and identity.

Fortunately, Shailene’s health eventually improved. “It was a journey that ultimately physically resolved itself, and I am very healthy,” she said. She is now happy to be in a good place both physically and mentally.

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2025-12-09 19:48