Latest news with #RobertTonyan
Forbes
2 days ago
- Sport
- Forbes
Former Packers Star Robert Tonyan Leads Chiefs In Receiving Yards During Preseason
Robert Tonyan was one of the best tight ends in the NFL in 2020, recording 586 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns for the Green Bay Packers. Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, who was then the head coach of the Chicago Bears, saw that talent twice a year when the NFC rivals squared it off. 'I remember when Bobby was in Green Bay,' Nagy said. 'He's an excellent tight end.' But in the next half decade since his Packers apex, Tonyan, who is now 31, suffered multiple injuries, including a torn ACL in 2021, and bounced around with the Bears, Minnesota Vikings — and now with the Chiefs after signing a one-year, $1.255 million contract in March, following a stint on the team's practice squad last year. He looks poised to resuscitate his career in Kansas City. 'This guy has been productive in the league,' Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said. 'He gets it.' In both of the Chiefs' preseason games, he has led the team in receiving yards. Moreover, he leads all Chiefs rushers or receivers in yards from scrimmage with 90. On Friday night against the Seattle Seahawks, Tonyan had five catches for 41 yards and scored the Chiefs' first and only offensive touchdown. On 3rd and goal from the one-yard line, he went in motion before finding open space in the back of the end zone for the scrambling Gardner Minshew. And he caught back-to-back passes on the third and fourth plays of the second half, totaling 28 yards, even hurdling Seahawks cornerback Damarion Williams on the latter. The week before in Tonyan's first preseason game with the Chiefs, he led all Chiefs players in receiving yards with three catches for 49 yards vs. the Arizona Cardinals. 'He caught the ball well,' Reid said. His two best plays came on the Chiefs' fifth play of the second quarter when he converted a 2nd and 4 on a 20-yard crossing route from Minshew. With 7:10 in the third quarter, he caught a 19-yard pass from Bailey Zappe. On an earlier play in the third quarter, however, Tonyan was split out and couldn't convert the first down. 'He had the one drop he'd like to have back,' Reid said. 'But he'll figure that one out and get it taken care of.' Reid also said Tonyan has to improve in the run game. Nonetheless, his skill as a pass catcher could enhance the tight end room. Future Hall of Famer Travis Kelce and Noah Gray, who the Chiefs like so much that they re-signed him to a three-year, $18 million contract in September of 2024, of course, are the No. 1 and No. 2 tight ends, respectively. But Reid, a former tight ends coach with the Packers, likes to employ multiple tight-end sets. And the competition for the No. 3 spot is fierce. It includes Tonyan, Jared Wiley, a 2024 fourth-round pick who suffered an ACL injury during his rookie season, and undrafted rookie Jake Briningstool, who recorded 17 touchdowns at Clemson but has battled a hamstring injury during training camp. 'We compete all the time,' said Wiley, who had one catch against the Seahawks. 'Just having those older guys mixed in with the younger guys like we have, it's been awesome.' Gray started against the Seahawks, but both Wiley and Tonyan entered the game on the Chiefs' first offensive series. Understandably, the 35-year-old Kelce did not play at all against the Seahawks. That 13-year veteran knows Tonyan from Tight End University and affectionately calls the 6-5, 240-pounder 'Big Bob.' 'He's been so awesome to have,' Kelce said. 'It's just a pleasure to have that guy in here, man, always a high-energy guy, always in a good mood.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Chiefs vs. Seahawks: QB Gardner Minshew finds veteran TE Robert Tonyan for TD in Seattle
The Kansas City Chiefs are in the midst of a tight game against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2 of the 2025 NFL preseason. After a slow start that saw the Chiefs down 14-0 in the first quarter of Friday's tilt, Kansas City's offense began to claw its way back as the game approached halftime. Trailing with only ten minutes left in the half, quarterback Gardner Minshew manufactured a near-perfect drive that ended in a touchdown pass to veteran tight end Robert Tonyan in the red zone. Take a look at the connection, which was posted to Twitter by the Chiefs' official account: Despite a close game, Kansas City's defense has staggered against a much-improved Seattle team and will need to rely on its experience to stop quarterback Sam Darnold and company. Stay tuned to see if the reigning AFC champions can recover from last week's loss and head back to western Missouri with a win. This article originally appeared on Chiefs Wire: Chiefs vs. Seahawks: Gardner Minshew finds Robert Tonyan for first TD
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Chiefs vs. Seahawks: QB Gardner Minshew finds veteran TE Robert Tonyan for TD in Seattle
The Kansas City Chiefs are in the midst of a tight game against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2 of the 2025 NFL preseason. After a slow start that saw the Chiefs down 14-0 in the first quarter of Friday's tilt, Kansas City's offense began to claw its way back as the game approached halftime. Trailing with only ten minutes left in the half, quarterback Gardner Minshew manufactured a near-perfect drive that ended in a touchdown pass to veteran tight end Robert Tonyan in the red zone. Take a look at the connection, which was posted to Twitter by the Chiefs' official account: Despite a close game, Kansas City's defense has staggered against a much-improved Seattle team and will need to rely on its experience to stop quarterback Sam Darnold and company. Stay tuned to see if the reigning AFC champions can recover from last week's loss and head back to western Missouri with a win.
USA Today
06-08-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Kansas City Chiefs TE Robert Tonyan discusses learning from Travis Kelce in camp
During Tuesday's training camp press conference, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Robert Tonyan discussed his time learning from Pro Bowl teammate Travis Kelce. "I've known Travis (Kelce) for a couple of years, but being here and seeing how he practices, how he prepares, and maintaining his body," said Tonyan, "He probably has the most snaps amongst any tight end in the last 10-12 years with how far the Chiefs go in the playoffs every year, and obviously the Andy Reid camps. He's taken a lot of wear and tear, but he's able to rejuvenate and get ready for the next day." Tonyan began last season with the Minnesota Vikings before being waived. On December 23, 2024, he was signed to the Chiefs' practice squad. At the start of free agency, he re-signed with Kansas City in hopes of making the final roster. "He practices hard. I've loved learning from him over the years. When I was with Green Bay (Packers), you see his film, and you don't really get it, and then you get to ask him questions. Then you see where his mind's at, and it's awesome." said Tonyan, "Learning from him and Noah (Gray), they're both just two great players, and learning what Coach (Andy) Reid likes, what Pat (Patrick Mahomes) likes, and then just put in my little flavor on it as well." Tonyan has 148 receptions, 1,549 yards, and 17 touchdowns in his NFL career since going undrafted in 2017 out of Indiana State.
Daily Mail
05-08-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Travis Kelce's new teammate Robert Tonyan gushes about what it's like to play with Chiefs star
New Chiefs tight end Robert Tonyan has provided a glowing review of what it's like to play with Travis Kelce as the pair get to know one another at training camp. Tonyan, 31, signed a one-year deal with Kansas City in March as the defending AFC champions bolstered their tight end depth behind Kelce. And the former Packers star has been hugely impressed with what's he's seem from Kelce up close. 'Being here, seeing how he practices and how he prepares and maintaining his body... he's taken a lot of wear and tear,' Tonyan told reporters on Tuesday. 'But the way he's able to rejuvenate and get ready for the next day, [with] how much he did before, it's pretty incredible. And he practices hard, I love just learning from him. 'Over the years, how I was with Green Bay, you see his film and you don't really get it,' he continued. 'And then you get to ask him questions and then you see where his mind's at and it's awesome. Learning from him and Noah [Gray], they're both just two great players, and learning what Coach Reid likes, what Pat [Mahomes] likes and then just kind of putting my little plays around it as well.' Tonyan said it was 'incredible' to see the way which 35-year-old Kelce recovers Tonyan, who went undrafted in 2018, spent five years with the Packers and registered a career-best 586 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2020. He's also spent time with the Bears and Vikings in the last two years, and joined the Chiefs' practice squad in December. Kelce is also set to be backed up once again by Noah Gray, who produced a career-high 437 receiving yards and five touchdowns last season. After flirting with retirement following the Chiefs' Super Bowl loss to the Eagles, Kelce will be looking to produce a bounce-back year in what could be his final season in the NFL. The future Hall of Famer had a down year by his own lofty standards as he produced his fewest receiving yards (823) since his sophomore season. However, he returned to the Chiefs this summer in slimmed-down form as he dropped weight from the season before. 'Each year is different man. You got to rebuild it,' he told reporters in June. 'This year, got some time to really focus on some form running and some things early on in the offseason that I just didn't have time for last year. Certainly, feeling good and I think it will pay off.' Kelce, who spent time working with a personal trainer in Florida, also pleased head coach Andy Reid with the shape he turned up in. 'He's svelte right now,' Reid previously beamed. 'He looks like he's 20. He's doing a good job. He's in great shape.' Kelce and the Chiefs will begin their preseason on Saturday against the Bears before kicking off their regular season on September versus the Chargers.
