Could 28, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) participates in OTA drills on the UPMC Rooney Sports activities Complicated. Necessary Credit score: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Photos
Tight finish Robert Tonyan stopped by the Minnesota Vikings in 2024, noteworthy as a result of Vikings followers remembered him from his Inexperienced Bay Packers days. There, he performed alongside quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and in 2026, he’ll reunite together with his pal in Pittsburgh.
Tonyan signed with the Steelers final week, and he’ll vie for a roster spot at coaching camp and within the preseason.
Steelers TE Room Will get One other Acquainted NFC North Identify
Inexperienced Bay Packers tight finish Robert Tonyan shares a lightweight second throughout coaching camp because the membership ready for one more season with excessive expectations. On July 27, 2022, Tonyan participated in follow at Ray Nitschke Discipline in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin, persevering with his return to motion after a major knee harm. Necessary Credit score: Samantha Madar-USA TODAY NETWORK.
Tonyan to PIT
It’s official for Tonyan, at the least for a few months, on the Steelers’ roster. Pittsburgh Publish-Gazette‘s Ray Fittipaldo wrote final week, “The Steelers added two veteran players to their 90-man offseason roster on Thursday when they signed tight end Robert Tonyan and linebacker Jamin Davis. Tonyan, 32, has a history with coach Mike McCarthy and quarterback Aaron Rodgers. He played for the Packers for five seasons and had his best seasons when Rodgers was throwing him passes.”
“Tonyan spent last season on Kansas City’s practice squad, but he had a strong chemistry with Rodgers when they played together from 2018-22. He caught 11 touchdowns in 2020 and had a career-best 53 receptions in 2022. He also played for the Bears (2023) and Vikings (2024) before joining the Chiefs last season.”
Davis additionally performed for the Vikings — the 2024 marketing campaign.
The Pit Cease in MIN
Tonyan joined the Vikings as a backup tight finish whereas T.J. Hockenson recovered from a major ACL harm. The transfer appeared promising: a veteran cross catcher conversant in the NFC North, probably filling a TE2 or TE3 function. Nonetheless, coaching camp revealed a unique story.
Again spasms sidelined Tonyan in the course of the preseason, permitting Johnny Mundt and Nick Muse to realize floor. The Vikings initially minimize him throughout ultimate roster reductions however then re-signed him to the follow squad. As soon as the season started, his enjoying time was minimal.
He participated in solely 13 offensive snaps and 33 particular groups snaps for Minnesota. After three follow squad elevations, the Vikings confronted a call: add him to the lively roster or launch him. They launched him in October 2024.
Profession to Date
Tonyan’s profession peaked in 2020, his most efficient season by a big margin. Taking part in for the Packers, he demonstrated effectivity in Rodgers’ potent offense, securing 52 catches for 586 yards and 11 touchdowns on merely 59 targets. Throughout that interval, Tonyan emerged as a outstanding offensive menace, not only a supporting participant, highlighted by a candy 88.1% catch charge for a good finish.
Kansas Metropolis Chiefs tight finish Robert Tonyan warms up earlier than a marquee AFC matchup, getting ready for game-day duties as a part of the membership’s depth chart. On Nov. 2, 2025, Tonyan took the sphere at Highmark Stadium forward of Kansas Metropolis’s highway contest in opposition to the Buffalo Payments. Necessary Credit score: Mark Konezny-Imagn Photos.
Currently, each his enjoying time and manufacturing have declined considerably. In 2023, with the Chicago Bears, he registered solely 17 targets, 11 catches, 112 yards, and no touchdowns. His temporary stint with the Vikings in 2024 was largely uneventful, and by 2025, whereas with the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs, he managed only a single catch for 1 yard.
Right here’s his full vacation spot record; he’s even accomplished the NFC North grand slam:
Detroit Lions (2017)
Inexperienced Bay Packers (2017–2022)
Chicago Bears (2023)
Minnesota Vikings (2024)
Kansas Metropolis Chiefs (2024–2025)
Pittsburgh Steelers (2026–now)
Steelers’ TEs
Pittsburgh has loads of tight ends — none of them nice, however not missing as an entire. Right here’s the group:
Darnell Washington
Pat Freiermuth
Robert Tonyan
JJ Galbreath
Lake McRee
Jaheim Bell
Tonyan should maintain Galbreath, McRee, and Bell at bay in July and August at coaching camp as a result of Washington and Freiermuth aren’t going wherever.
Pittsburgh Steelers tight finish Pat Freiermuth fights for further yardage after a reception, trying to maneuver the chains throughout a tightly contested divisional matchup. On Jan. 4, 2025, Freiermuth was introduced down by Bengals cornerback Mike Hilton within the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium as Pittsburgh battled Cincinnati. Necessary Credit score: Sam Greene-Imagn Photos.
Steelers Depot‘s Matthew Marczi famous on the tight finish depth, “The Steelers already have two tight ends making eight-figure annual salaries on the roster in Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington. Riley Nowakowski figured to slide into that third spot, functioning also as a fullback. A fifth-round pick doesn’t have a guaranteed roster spot, though. If Robert Tonyan forces his way onto the roster, somebody has to lose a spot.”
“The Steelers have managed to hold onto every draft pick for the past three years without waiving them, though some spent their rookie seasons on IR. With 10 draft picks this year, that streak likely comes to an end. Robert Tonyan may or may not play a role in that, but training camp — and possibly injuries — will sort it all out.”
Tonyan turned 32 in April.
Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … Extra about Dustin Baker
