When one thinks of the Green Bay Packers, they think of premium offensive talent. And rightfully so. For the past five seasons or so, the Packers have rostered the league's best offensive trio in Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams and Aaron Jones.
But, from the time between a heroic postseason catch and the beginning of the 2020 season, the tight end position had been a revolving door for the Packers. Following Jared Cook's short stint in Green Bay, the Packers' front office had swung and missed on free agents Martellus Bennett and Jimmy Graham, leaving them with a glaring hole on an otherwise talented offense.
But, with the weirdness of the pandemic season came the emergence of former undrafted free agent, Robert Tonyan. In a new offense laden with intricate play design, Tonyan quickly became Rodgers' favorite target, particularly in the end zone. With great size and good-enough speed, Tonyan thrived in what most would describe as a utilitarian role throughout 2020, though becoming a fantasy star in the process.
A Role of Overlooked Importance
This season, however, defenses started to account for Tonyan more as a receiver, yielding a predictably softer stat line midway through October. Prior to Week 7, he was limited to just one game with more than 10 yards receiving and had only found pay dirt once. At first glance, the impact of Matt LaFleur's offensive scheme seemed to detract from Tonyan's accomplishments the year before.
But, shortly after the five-year veteran went down in the third quarter of Green Bay's Week 8 in Arizona, his importance to the offense became abundantly clear.
Since Tonyan's injury, the Packers have scored touchdowns in only seven of their 14 quarters played. And, beyond the lack of scoring, ball movement on offense has been wildly inconsistent, even in the two games where Rodgers suited up. In the first half of those games, the offense looked lost, shooting themselves in the foot with penalties and finding the end zone just once.
Tonyan's contributions as a blocker and mere presence downfield have clearly played an integral role in Green Bay's ability to sustain long drives and capitalize on trips into opposing territory. Where others like Allen Lazard have regularly come up short, Tonyan proved to be a sure-handed outlet for Rodgers on crucial third downs and, even more so, in the red zone.
The Future at Tight End
You have to feel for Tonyan, who was at the end of his contract and was well-positioned for a payday from the Packers or as a free agent this coming March. The recovery timeline for the torn ACL he suffered could very well bleed into the beginning of next season (as we've witnessed for David Bakhtiari), forcing the front office to assemble some kind of contingency plan in the offseason.
With retirement a strong possibility for 16-year veteran Marcedes Lewis and H-back Josiah Deguara playing a decidedly different role from that of a traditional tight end, it's possible they add a low-cost veteran in free agency as a holdover until Tonyan is healthy. However, it wouldn't surprise me to see GM Brian Gutekunst chase a young tight end in the coming draft, which includes potential Day 2 talent in Jalen Wydermyer (Texas A&M), Cade Otton (Washington) and Jeremy Ruckert (Ohio State).
Despite rumors prior to this month's trade deadline that suggested a quick fix at tight end, Gutekunst ultimately decided to roll with a widening gap at the position through the remainder of 2021. This Thanksgiving, we can appreciate what Tonyan did for the offense over the past year and a half, hope that his absence isn't the difference for the Packers in the postseason and cross our fingers that he's back in Green Bay a year from now.
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