There is a multitude of reasons why Green Bay Packers fans should be excited about tight end Robert Tonyan. Not only did he recently come out and publicly support Aaron Rodgers, but he’s coming off a breakout season in which he hauled in 11 touchdowns. Green Bay is anticipating that last year wasn’t an anomaly. Another good year from Tonyan could put him one step closer toward being one of the best tight ends this team has seen in recent memory, and another contract.  

Doubters will tell you about how Tonyan’s 2020 numbers were inflated because he was a by-product of Rodgers. However, those people have only a surface level of Tonyan’s abilities and probably haven’t kept track of his development.

Tonyan had some intriguing moments during his first two years with the Packers, but he struggled with consistency. His 54-yard touchdown against the Seahawks on Thursday Night Football is a prime example after he caught just one pass over the next four games. As both a first and second-year player, Tonyan was mostly viewed as a developmental player who would learn behind veterans in Jimmy Graham and Marcedes Lewis.  

Tonyan won the starting job in 2020 and responded by catching 52 passes for 586 yards. Not many will mention that his production came on only 59 targets, which was 23rd among tight ends. Also, his 11 touchdowns were tied for 5th in the NFL and even matched Paul Coffman’s franchise record for receiving touchdowns by a tight end in a single season.

Even though Tonyan’s athleticism was pretty apparent early on, last year’s productivity still came as a pleasant surprise. Tonyan’s background as a college wide receiver certainly helped him in the passing game, but it put him behind the curve as far as blocking.

Last year, Tonyan wrote an essay for The Player’s Tribune and recalled being scorned by left tackle David Bakhtiari at a Thanksgiving feast.

According to Tonyan, here is how Bakhtiari’s criticism landed: “Listen, I don’t know what’s up with you in the passing game, or how you do things when the ball’s in the air…but when we’re running the ball, in the run game, what you’re doing...it’s not good enough. You need to be better.”

Ultimately, Tonyan took Bakhtiari’s well-intended reproval to heart. He improved as a run blocker by watching Lewis and also continued to sharpen his skills by training during the offseason training with All-Pro George Kittle.

So, when you give Rodgers most of the credit for Tonyan’s emergence, it is a true disservice to the tight end’s work ethic and his strides over the last three years. Now looking forward to Tonyan’s fourth year with the Packers, 2021 could be his best season yet and could very well put him next in line for a rich contract.