Green Bay Packers: Robert Tonyan should be more involved on offense

The Green Bay Packers should give tight end Robert Tonyan more opportunities going forward. What’s the worst that could happen?

One catch for 12 yards and a touchdown. That was Robert Tonyan‘s stat line this past Sunday in a game that saw the Green Bay Packers sneak past the Washington Redskins by a final score of 20-15.

Tonyan, a former undrafted free agent in the midst of his second season, saw the field for just 20 snaps against Washington. But despite his limited playing time, Tonyan made the most of his opportunities, catching Aaron Rodgers‘ only touchdown pass of the game and his first touchdown grab of the 2019 season.

It was a defining moment for Tonyan, who exited Week 5’s matchup against the Dallas Cowboys and missed the following five games due to a lingering hip injury. His potential breakout season was halted before it ever had a chance to gain any traction. But that doesn’t mean it has to stay that way.

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With Green Bay’s ongoing struggles at the wide receiver position, perhaps utilizing Tonyan in a similar role would be a low-risk, high-reward option.

Coming out of Indiana State, the 6-5, 220-pound Tonyan ran the 40-yard dash in 4.58 seconds. In fact, tight end wasn’t even his position in college. Tonyan transitioned from a quarterback to wide receiver, then to tight end after the Packers signed him to a rookie free-agent contract. Now roughly 240 pounds, Tonyan has shown flashes of potential in limited spurts at his ‘new’ position.

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein noted in his pre-draft write-up that Tonyan is an “impressive athlete” with the ability create separation in his routes due to his initial quickness, with strong hands and excellent ball skills to secure contested catches.

Even with the impressive rise of second-year receiver Allen Lazard in recent weeks, the Packers lack a consistent playmaker opposite of Davante Adams, particularly over the middle of the field. Tonyan, who hasn’t seen the field for more than 33 percent of offensive snaps in a single game this season, must get more opportunities going forward.

And don’t let the stat line fool you. Tonyan may only have seven total catches for 86 yards and one touchdown in 2019, but he hasn’t been given many chances. After all, he’s only played 146 snaps over the entire season, and granted he was injured for five games, that simply isn’t enough for a player of his potential.

The Packers haven’t shown much sustained success in the passing game in recent weeks. Maybe it’s time to give Tonyan more snaps at tight end. Or maybe even some reps as a slot receiver. What’s the worst that could happen?