After spending the first five years of his NFL career with the Green Bay Packers, Robert Tonyan elected to depart in free agency. To the shock of many, the veteran tight end chose to sign with NFC North rival, the Chicago Bears.
But those close to Robert Tonyan were not shocked by the decision to join the Bears in free agency. Tonyan, who is from McHenry Illinois, grew up a fan of the Bears. When given the opportunity to join his childhood team, the decision was easy.
During a conversation with reporters on Friday, Tonyan spoke about his decision to join the Bears.
“Did I think I'd be a tight end for the Bears? No. But did I think I'd play for the Bears? Yeah, absolutely. In my brain, I was playing for the Bears my whole life. I'm just super pumped to be here,” said Tonyan via the Chicago Tribune's Colleen Kane.
Robert Tonyan bursts onto the scene for the Packers during the 2020 season. He finished the campaign appearing in all 16 games, recording 52 receptions for 586 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns.
Heading into the 2021 season, Tonyan was once again prepared to play a key role. Unfroutanely, injuries limited him to just eight total appearances.
This past season, Tonyan returned to form in the Packers offense. Over 17 games, he recorded 53 receptions for 470 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns.
Robert Tonyan now joins a Bears offense that is loaded with firepower. With Justin Fields leading the charge, and players such as DJ Moore, Chase Claypool, Darnell Mooney, Cole Kmet, Khalil Herbert, and D'Onta Foreman, this unit could be explosive. Adding Tonyan to the group adds another option to this already-loaded group. As Tonyan prepares to play for the Bears, it appears that he is ready to make an impact.