On Oct. 28, 2021, Green Bay Packers tight end Robert Tonyan suffered a torn ACL at Arizona. Almost a year later – 353 days, to be exact – Tonyan caught a team-high 10 passes in Sunday’s loss to the New York Jets.
It was the most catches by a tight end in Packers history and tied for the most catches by an NFL tight end this season.
“Oh, yeah, it definitely gives you confidence,” Tonyan said on Wednesday. “Working back from an injury and all that and not playing in forever, it’s honestly feeling a full game of football again like that across the board, run game, pass game. And then obviously being successful in the pass game, personally, was definitely a confidence booster.”
Tonyan caught 10-of-12 targets against the Jets for 90 yards. He picked up four first downs.
Tonyan has caught a remarkable 27-of-32 target targets this season. Of all tight ends to be targeted at least 18 times (three per game), Tonyan’s 84.4 percent catch ranks No. 1. He was No. 1 in 2020, too, at 88.1 percent.
“I think he’s feeling better,” quarterback Aaron Rodgers said on Wednesday. “He’s feeling more confidence in his leg, and he’s got incredible hands. I always tell him he’s got the second-best hands on the team [behind himself]. He catches the ball well with his hands and he’s just instinctual, as well. Makes some plays outside the framework sometimes of the construct of the offense. He’s always making the right reactions.”
Tonyan was the target of the week in Green Bay’s in-transition passing attack. Through six games, only Randall Cobb has led the team in receptions in multiple games (tied with three vs. Chicago, seven vs. the Giants). Tonyan became the sixth different player in as many weeks to lead the team in receiving yards.
As it turns out, it does take a village to replace an elite player such as Davante Adams. With a knack for getting open and the best hands on the roster – no offense to the quarterback – it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Tonyan emerge as a consistent favorite target.
“I wouldn’t say necessarily it’s our identity we’re looking for,” Tonyan said. “It’s more new guys coming in. There’s people fighting back from injuries, new guys playing different positions. I think it’s a matter of us just playing together and getting those situations and scenarios under our belt as a unit.”
(Feeling like you did pre-injury?) Yeah. Honestly, I feel good. There’s some things neurologically that I’ve just got to get past and get by and physically I’m just trying to get to feel as best I can every day. So, that’s going to vary on away games or surface or whatever. But that’s our sport, as well.
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