What does having Robert Tonyan back week 1 mean for the Packers?

By: Jake Nett

Reports came out recently that Robert Tonyan is looking to return to the Green Bay Packers by week 1. Tonyan had his 2021 season cut short when he tore his ACL week 8 against the Arizona Cardinals, really horrible timing because it happened in the middle of his best game of the season. It was a huge blow to the Packers offense, who were already without Davante Adams, Allen Lazard and Marquez Valdes-Scantling in that game. No, he wasn't setting the league on fire with his stats 18 receptions/204 yards/2 TDs but he was showing promise that he was heating up back to his 2020 production. Also, little did we know as Packers fans that we would be without two of the three previously mentioned wide receivers (Adams, MVS) for the 2022 season, we might've just gotten a glimpse of what is to come from Tonyan in this offense.  

2020 was when Tonyan showed the NFL that he was a force to be reckoned with, he finished with 52 receptions, 586 yards and 11 touchdowns. His 11 touchdowns ranked tied for 5th most in the entire league, first among all tight ends, impressive considering teammate Davante Adams led the league with 18.This was also the first of back to back MVP seasons for quarterback Aaron Rodgers. 

Tonyan became a free agent after the 2021 season but is betting on himself and also chose to stay with elite quarterback play. He is sticking around in Green Bay for one more season, signing a one year $3.75 million dollar deal, the deal can be worth up to $5.5 million, the extra $1.75 million can be earned through playing time incentives and making the pro bowl. That's really a great deal for a guy with Tonyan’s skill set. Watching his highlight video from 2020 you can visually see how he makes an impact on the field, commanding the middle, in the red zone, and coming off of play action. He routinely beats linebackers, corners and safeties in man coverage and has a knack for finding the soft spot against zone defense. 

 On top of his pass catching ability Tonyan has developed into one of the best run blocking tight ends in football. Against the 49ers in 2021 he pancaked Nick Bosa three times! With his blocking ability really being underrated he fits perfectly into Matt LaFleur’s offense which is predicated on ball control and play action passing. It also helps when you have some of the best hands in the league, in 2020 tonyan posted a 88.1 percent catch rate, 0.0 drop percentage and 148.3 passer rating when targeted, all ranked number one for tight ends.

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As the above points have demonstrated Robert Tonyan has proved to be a great playmaker for Aaron Rodgers and this Packers offense. He checks every box that you want in a tight end in today's NFL. For all of us cheeseheads, let's hope with all the targets left behind from Davante Adams that Tonyan can return to 2020 form. Having him back for week one would be a huge boost to a Green Bay Packers offense that is full of question marks for pass catchers heading into 2022.