When the Green Bay Packers players came back to Lambeau Field Sunday night, they found out that one of their stars wasn’t there. Tight end Robert Tonyan had a season-ending shoulder injury in the third quarter against Washington on Saturday and will be placed on injured reserve.
The “robert tonyan fantasy” is a story about the Green Bay Packers tight end Robert Tonyan. In week one of the 2017 NFL season, he suffered a setback that carries costly consequences for his quarterback, his team, and his wallet.
The Green Bay Packers were able to break the Arizona Cardinals’ unblemished record, but they did it at a tremendous cost. Robert Tonyan’s fourth NFL season ended abruptly and painfully during his team’s 24-21 triumph against Kyler Murray and company.
With the excellent tight end out until 2022, Aaron Rodgers will undoubtedly find it difficult to get by without one of his most dependable targets. While the Packers should remain optimistic about their chances of representing the NFC in Super Bowl 56, Tonyan’s prospects do not seem to be as bright.
After all, his season-ending setback will cost his quarterback, his team, and his pocketbook a lot of money.
The season of Robert Tonyan in 2021 came to an end against the Cardinals.
In the Packers’ Week 8 triumph against the Arizona Cardinals, Robert Tonyan sustained a season-ending injury. | Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Green Bay was hit by the injury bug once again in Week 8. It took away one of the team’s most key players for the remainder of the season this time.
In the third quarter of Thursday’s game against the Cardinals, starting tight end Robert Tonyan hurt his knee on a 33-yard catch. Despite winning by a razor-thin margin, the Packers lost one of their best weapons to a ruptured ACL.
Tonyan has evolved into a crucial element of the offense after signing as an undrafted free agent with the Detroit Lions. After a career season that earned him a raise, the Illinois native picked up 18 receptions for 204 yards and two touchdowns before suffering a season-ending injury.
The Packers seem to lose a major player on a weekly basis, with their third-leading receiver slated for a long recovery process. And Tonyan’s ailment might cost him a lot of money in the long run.
The injury to the skilled tight end might be expensive to his quarterback, his club, and his pocketbook.
The tight-end market has finally risen in the last two years after a protracted period of stasis.
That is plenty of incentive for Robert Tonyan, who will be eligible for unrestricted free agency next offseason, to improve on his breakthrough performance in 2020. https://t.co/jHrOYFGjv7
September 6, 2021 — Jason B. Hirschhorn (@by JBH)
Do you think Aaron Rodgers would like having a 6-foot-5, 237-pound target available for 17 games and the playoffs? Unfortunately for the reigning MVP, Tonyan’s injury has made his task a bit more tough. The 27-year-old tight end added enormous value to the offense as a steady playmaker and eager blocker. Rodgers will now have to depend on less-than-stellar choices such as Marcedes Lewis (who turned 37 in May) and Josiah Deguara (a second-year player coming off an ACL tear of his own).
Will the Packers suffer as a result of Tonyan’s absence from the lineup?
That remains to be seen, but with injuries aplenty on the squad (especially on offense), his setback puts the club in a vulnerable position going ahead.
But, more crucially, the financial repercussions of Tonyan’s injury might be severe. He needed to put up a strong campaign as an incoming free agent if he wanted to obtain a big salary. Will he still get a multi-year contract despite tearing his ACL halfway through his second season as a part-time starter?
Tonyan’s stats for 2020 (52 receptions for 582 yards and 11 touchdowns) show he can put up big numbers. At the same time, he’ll be seen as a one-year wonder when he enters free agency. After all, he just has 32 catches on his NFL résumé if you exclude his stats from a year ago.
Tonyan is unlikely to receive anything close to the level of guaranteed money he would have gotten before his injuries at this stage. He could have to settle for a one-year contract to show he’s still the same player. On Thursday Night Football, the chances of him filling his pocket with a market-level deal took a significant knock.
In light of Aaron Rodgers’ recent injury, would the Packers chase another target for him?
The Packers have a significant hole to fill now that their No. 1 tight end is done for the season. Replacing a player of Tonyan’s level is obviously no simple task. After all, he’s established himself as a promising prospect at the position.
Still, Brian Gutekunst isn’t obligated to continue with the present depth chart. In fact, the third-year general manager may go into the trade market to find a Tonyan successor.
Why don’t you contact the New York Giants about Evan Engram? The 2016 first-round pick has durability issues, but he has great quickness and pass-catching skills. Engram, like Tonyan, will be a free agent this spring, meaning the Packers would have to deal with at least a mid-round choice for a guy who may go in a matter of months.
Gutekunst may attempt to work out a trade for Devin Asiasi of the New England Patriots if he wants to take a gamble on someone with less wear on the tires and greater promise. Following a lackluster rookie season, the 2020 third-round selection has been a healthy scratch on a regular basis and doesn’t seem to have a future in Foxborough. Despite his agility and productivity in college (he had a 44/641/4 line as a junior), Asiasi has the potential to make an impact in a new setting.
Finally, the Packers must make a move to improve their tight end depth. And, at the conclusion of the season, they’ll have to make a huge choice about how much they’re prepared to pay Robert Tonyan to stay.
Pro Football Reference provided all statistics. Spotrac provided all contract information.
RELATED: Bill Belichick’s Old Friend Has Suddenly Opened the Door for Mac Jones to Get a Season-Changing Weapon
The “greenbay packers game” is a setback for Robert Tonyan, who had to sit out the rest of the season. The cost of this setback could be costly for his quarterback and team.
Related Tags
- robert tonyan stats
- green bay packers players
- packers defense
