The Chicago Bears fortified their tight end position with a former rival. They signed former Green Bay Packers tight end Robert Tonyan to a one-year deal, reuniting him with offensive coordinator Luke Getsy.
Tonyan, a local product from McHenry, Ill came to the Packers in 2017 after a brief stint with the Detroit Lions where he initially signed as an undrafted free agent. He slowly was integrated into the offense over the next couple of seasons and had a breakout year in 2020, where he caught 52 passes for 586 yards and 11 touchdowns. A torn ACL sidelined him halfway through the 2021 season after another solid start, but was able to return for the start of last season. In 2022, Tonyan had 53 receptions for 470 yards and two scores.
Now joining the Bears, Tonyan will pair up with Cole Kmet to help improve the Bears’ passing attack and give Justin Fields yet another weapon to utilize. Here is how we graded the signing.
Contract details
- To be announced
Initial grade: B
While Kmet enjoyed a successful season as the Bears’ starting tight end, the players behind him didn’t necessarily move the needle. Tonyan coming in as the TE2 is an upgrade over someone like Ryan Griffin, who spent the 2022 season in that backup role. Tonyan is a better receiver and younger than Griffin, who barely managed to make a dent on offense. He gives the team two legitimate receiving threats at the position and also reunites with Getsy, who was on Green Bay’s staff during Tonyan’s most successful season.
Assuming the financials aren’t anything astronomical, this is a smart signing for the Bears. Tonyan isn’t being asked to be the top tight end and can create mismatches, especially with him and Kmet on the field at the same time. He has tremendous hands, catching 79% of his targets in 2022 which provides Fields another trustworthy receiver on passing downs.
The biggest downside with Toynan has to do with his blocking. He’s not great in either run or pass blocking which could leave the Bears vulnerable on certain running plays if he’s on the field. They would be wise to bring back someone like Trevon Wesco for the needs since Tonyan will most likely be used exclusively on passing downs. But for the (likely) low price, his signing is a good one all around.
