Robert Tonyan ‘super pumped’ to be part of ascending Chicago Bears team

Most Chicago Bears analysts assumed tight end would be addressed by GM Ryan Poles in free agency this offseason. It’s not that incumbent starter Cole Kmet is a problem, he’s one of the Bears’ top young players. But an honest assessment of his game would conclude that more juice and playmaking ability are needed from the position.

Enter former Green Bay Packers tight end Robert Tonyan Jr. The Lake Villa native broke out with 11 touchdown catches in 2020, but a torn ACL in 2021 derailed his path toward becoming one of the NFL’s top players at his position.

Now two years removed from the injury, Tonyan is ready to re-emerge as a top-shelf red-zone target and a guy who can slip by defenders for chunk gains. He knows being part of offensive coordinator Luke Getsy’s will help him get closer to stardom.

#Bears #Tonyan #NFL #Poles The @ChicagoBears and @RyanPolesBears have got themselves a very nice TE #2 in Free Agency with Robert Tonyan. He has been a TD Machine pic.twitter.com/4GLeo424vB

— BearskiFilm (@BearskiFilm) March 17, 2023

“This offense goes through the tight ends, whether it’s blocking, passing, whatever it is,” Tonyan said in his introductory press conference. “And just a good pair – Cole’s a great tight end. He’s big, strong and I think that adding that – that can complement me and him. I’m super pumped. We didn’t really talk in super detail because obviously it’s early, but I’m just excited to get in this building and get things rolling and just be a part of a team that’s ascending in the right direction.”

Tonyan ended the 2022 season with more catches than Kmet (53) but had fewer yards (470) and touchdowns (2). He only started three games in his comeback season, and it was obvious his knee still hampered him. Players who suffer torn ACLs tend to return to their pre-injury form in the second season post-surgery, which should have Chicago Bears fans excited about what the 28-year-old pass-catcher will bring to Justin Fields and the passing game in 2023.

Robert Tonyan won’t surpass Cole Kmet on the depth chart this year, but that isn’t the point. For a Chicago Bears team that began free agency desperate to add more weapons on offense, Tonyan is a welcome addition.

“Did I think I’d be a tight end for the Bears? No,” Tonyan said. “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.”