NFL survey: Packers' Robert Tonyan not among 10 best tight ends

Packers starting tight end Robert Tonyan already had enough motivation heading into the 2022 season. He is entering a contract year. He is also returning from an ACL tear, but he is on track for the team's season opener in Minnesota in Week 1. Now, Tonyan will have even more motivation to play well this year. In a recent ESPN survey that polled 50 NFL players, coaches, executives and scouts, Tonyan was not voted as a top-10 tight end in the league.

In his last full season in 2020, Tonyan caught 52 passes for 586 yards and a league-leading 11 touchdowns among tight ends. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers had a passer rating of 147.6 when targeting the former Indiana State Sycamore. Rodgers has a career passer rating mark of roughly 127. When that duo connects, great things happen for Green Bay's offense. Tonyan has just one drop in four seasons. The Illinois native has a career yards-per-reception mark of 11.5, which means he is a big-play threat whenever he is on the field. He is arguably the team's best pass-catching tight end since Jermichael Finley, who retired nearly a decade ago.

The soon-to-be fifth-year veteran presumably has a lot of added motivation as the team looks toward training camp. Also, keep in mind that the Packers lost All-Pro receiver and speedster Marquez Valdes-Scantling earlier this offseason. Tonyan will be relied upon heavily as Rodgers tries to get up to speed his three new rookie receivers and free-agent signing Sammy Watkins. But make no mistake about it, if Tonyan can stay fully healthy, he could have a career year for head coach Matt LaFleur and the Packers offense.