Green Bay Packers Not Expected to Retain Veteran Tight End

The Green Bay Packers are approaching a potentially transformative offseason, and that could mean moving on from one of their established veterans. According to the Athletic's Matt Schneidman, it'd be a surprise at this point if the team retained tight end Robert Tonyan.

Packers mailbag, NFL Combine edition, in which we talk Aaron Rodgers, Jordan Love, tight ends, offensive line and much more: https://t.co/KhGRmUokTU
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) March 3, 2023

Tonyan joined the Packers in 2017 after coming into the league as an undrafted free agent. He gradually grew his role with the team over the next few years, culminating in an excellent 2020 season that saw him total 586 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns at an excellent 9.9 yards per target. He's now set to his free agency.

Tonyan has failed to regain the promise he displayed in that special 2020 season: he has totalled 674 receiving yards and four touchdowns at a mere 7.0 yards per target over his last 25 appearances. He enters free agency on the cusp of his 29th birthday. He'll likely have to settle for a modest one-year deal as a depth piece in someone's receiving corps, perhaps with an organization that has some ties to Packers head coach Matt LaFleur. The Los Angeles Rams would make a certain amount of sense, as would any team that successfully trades for Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.