Robert Tonyan

Former Green Bay Packers tight end Robert Tonyan has defected to the rival Chicago Bears, the team he rooted for as a Chicago suburban youth.

While new tight end Robert Tonyan was raised a Bears fan in McHenry, Ill., his first five years in the NFL were spent with their rivals – Green Bay – but a ...

Did I think I'd be a tight end for the Bears? But did I think I'd play for the Bears? Did I think I’d be a tight end for the Bears? But did I think I’d play for the Bears? After talking with Getsy Thursday, Tonyan "knew that this was the spot for me." "And when you have a hometown team and you're a fan of them growing up, you take a little bit more pride in that and take it more to heart.

The new Chicago tight end has a signed Brian Urlacher jersey in his basement. His former Packers teammates understood.

“Did I think I’d be a tight end for the Bears? “Changing from quarterback to receiver now to tight end, just playing football is my dream and my life,” he said. Tonyan, a former college wide receiver, was in the slot 28 percent of the time and split wide 14 percent of the time last season. He moved to tight end after college and was cut by the Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2017. “I don’t want to say this in a bad way, but it’s just kinda the norm over the years — just kinda with moving parts,” he said Friday. He knows the Bears’ offense, having played in a similar system with the Packers and for Chicago coordinator Luke Getsy.

In my brain, I was playing for the Bears my whole life,” former Packers TE Robert Tonyan said Friday. Now, that dream is a reality for the McHenry native, ...

[Jack Sanborn](https://www.shawlocal.com/tags/jack-sanborn/) (Lake Zurich) and new linebacker T.J. Tonyan turned out to be in the right place at the right time. Tonyan was a two-sport standout at McHenry, where he played quarterback in football and forward on the basketball team. He wound up signing with the Green Bay Packers’ practice squad later that season and found a new home in Green Bay. “My dream has always just been to play in the NFL,” Tonyan said. He grabbed 11 touchdown passes in 2020 and was not charged with one dropped pass. He learned from veteran tight ends Jimmy Graham and Marcedes Lewis during his early years with the Packers. He became a favorite target for Packers’ quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The former high school quarterback didn’t always know it would be as a tight end, but he was certain he would one day suit up in orange and blue. That Urlacher jersey has stayed up there on the wall, even after six years with the rival Green Bay Packers. He has caught 137 passes for 1,437 yards and 17 touchdowns. “I’m just super pumped to be here.”

Robert Tonyan always knew he'd play for the Bears. The quarterback and tight end he joins in Chicago just made coming home that much easier.

The Chicago Bears have signed former Green Bay Packers tight end Robert Tonyan to a one-year deal. Justin Fields gets another pass catching open in Tonyan, ...

While he isn’t a game-breaker, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Tonyan is a useful pass-catcher for Justin Fields and the Bears in 2023. ZK: He gave the Packers a reliable presence at tight end over the last three seasons. And despite being a good athlete, he’s not a tackle-breaker after the catch. Tonyan caught almost 80 percent of his total targets in Green Bay and rarely dropped a catchable ball. Zach Kruse: A sure-handed pass-catching tight end who will know exactly what is required of him in the Bears offense under Luke Getsy. The Illinois native will serve as a nice complement to Cole Kmet in the passing game.

After spending the first five seasons of his NFL career with the Packers, tight end Robert Tonyan opens up on decision to sign with Bears.

As Tonyan prepares to play for the Bears, it appears that he is ready to make an impact. But did I think I’d play for the Bears? But those close to Robert Tonyan were not shocked by the decision to join the Bears in free agency.

CHICAGO — Robert Tonyan's NFL career blossomed over six seasons while catching passes from Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

CHICAGO — Robert Tonyan's NFL career blossomed over six seasons while catching passes from Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

“Just trust the process and home in on your own craft and your own work. “Some people’s paths and destinations are just different, and it just kind of goes to show my personality is just keep going,” Tonyan said. Joining the Bears is the next step in a winding journey for Tonyan that included throwing for 5,000 yards and 40 touchdowns at McHenry East. He said Rodgers has “earned the right to have that attention and say-so with his future.” “That’s hard to do when you come in the league when you have a lot of — whether it’s positive or negative — things being said about you in the media, just keeping your cool and playing your game. “Just holding my future in my own hands was the biggest thing for me this year,” Tonyan said. I just ended strong, and it gave me a better feeling about going into the offseason and going into this process.” I’m just super excited to be a part of that.” He recovered in time to play in all 17 games in 2022 and had 53 catches for 470 yards and two touchdowns. “Did I think I’d be a tight end for the Bears? “But did I think I’d play for the Bears? Tonyan, 28, grew up in McHenry, Ill., and played quarterback for McHenry East before moving to wide receiver at Indiana State and tight end with the Packers.

CHICAGO — Robert Tonyan's NFL career blossomed over six seasons while catching passes from Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.