Eagles’ Zach Ertz says military appreciation night ‘puts everything into perspective’

Eagles tight end Zach Ertz was emotional Sunday night after the open practice at Lincoln Financial Field.

After the workout on Military Appreciation Night, there was a post-practice jersey exchange between Eagles players and military personnel on the field. The players also posed for photos and signed autographs.

“There are a lot of reasons tonight was special," Ertz said. “And having Military Appreciation Night allows us to have that perspective that what we do is just a game, and seeing the military members line up on the sidelines for warmups just puts everything in perspective for us. Being out here on a Sunday night ... seeing all these fans lining the walls, there is no better place in the NFL to play. It is as simple as that in my opinion. It is so fun being out here and something I will never take for granted.”

This was the Eagles’ lone open practice and it was a big hit. Fans were charged $10 for Sunday’s workout, with proceeds going toward autism research and care.

The Eagles said more than 40,000 attended and more than $475,000 was raised.