Report: Packers to re-sign TE Robert Tonyan

Tonyan will be brought back to Green Bay on a one-year deal.

According to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, the Green Bay Packers are going to re-sign tight end Robert Tonyan on a one-year contract. Tonyan has been the Packers’ primary pass-catching tight end over the last two seasons.

The big question is when will Tonyan return to the field. Against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 8, Tonyan tore his ACL in his left knee, which ended his 2021 season. As Packers fans are all too familiar with after David Bakhtiari’s ACL recovery, knee injuries from a previous season can still keep a player out deep into the next year.

Once Tonyan does fully recover from his injury, he should be the Packers’ top pass-catching tight end again with Marcedes Lewis handling the in-line blocking.

It is worth noting, though, that Green Bay is looking at a short-term contract for Tonyan. The team obviously has cap space following the trade of receiver Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders, but the Packers’ other key re-signings this year came on multi-year deals. Cornerback Rasul Douglas got a three-year deal, outside linebacker Preston Smith got a four-year deal and inside linebacker De’Vondre Campbell got a five-year deal.

The reported void years on the end of Tonyan’s contract should keep his cap hit down, meaning the Packers should have plenty of cap space for a couple more free-agent signings. Wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling is still out on the market, a player to highlight. Green Bay can also create some cap space with an extension of cornerback Jaire Alexander, who carries a cap hit of north of $13 million currently, or some sort of restructure or extension of defensive lineman Dean Lowry, who still carries a base salary of $5 million going into the 2022 season.