It wasn’t long ago that Robert Tonyan was catching touchdowns at Lambeau Field and looking like the future of the position for the Green Bay Packers. Now, just a couple of years later, he’s hanging on by a thread with the Kansas City Chiefs, and there’s a real chance he won’t even make it to training camp.
Let’s hop in the time machine and rewind to 2022. Back then, the Packers’ tight end room looked completely different. It's almost unrecognizable now.
Marcedes Lewis was the veteran at the top of the depth chart, starting all 17 games. But he was more of an honorary offensive lineman than a receiving threat—he caught just six passes for 66 yards and a pair of touchdowns that season.
Tyler Davis and Josiah Deguara were also in the mix, mostly contributing on special teams. The real pass-catching threat came from none other than Tonyan.
An undrafted free agent who clawed his way onto the roster in 2018, Tonyan used his athleticism and former basketball skills to mold himself into a legit NFL tight end. His breakout came in 2020 when he racked up 52 catches, 586 yards, and a jaw-dropping 11 touchdowns.
Even in 2022, his final season with Green Bay, Tonyan was still productive, hauling in 53 receptions for 470 yards and two scores. But since then, it’s been a slow slide.
After Green Bay, Tonyan completed his tour of the NFC North, playing for the Chicago Bears in 2023 and then the Minnesota Vikings in 2024. Add in the fact that he first signed with the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent back in 2017, and he’s now made the full divisional lap.
Now, he’s with the Kansas City Chiefs, trying to stick on the league’s reigning dynasty. But with Travis Kelce still locked in as the top dog, Noah Gray established as a reliable No. 2, and 20234 fourth-round pick Jared Wiley entering Year 2, the tight end room is getting crowded.
That leaves Tonyan on the outside looking in, fighting for a TE4 spot that may not even exist come roster cutdowns. And unfortunately, his recent production hasn’t exactly helped his case. Since leaving Green Bay, he’s managed just 11 receptions for 112 yards and zero touchdowns over two seasons.
The burst that once made him dangerous has faded, and while he still has solid hands, he’s not moving the same way anymore. The NFL isn’t a patient league—especially not when it comes to depth players on the wrong side of their peak.
Tonyan has climbed the mountain once before, so maybe he’s got one last run in him. But if he doesn’t make a splash soon in offseason workouts, the Chiefs may not wait for training camp to pull the plug.
Sometimes, the NFL moves fast—and right now, Tonyan’s career may be stuck in neutral while the league speeds past.