The 2023 NFL offseason is drawing closer by the day, so it’s time to evaluate depth charts and determine what path each team should take to build out their rosters for the future. One key player for the Green Bay Packers is TE Robert Tonyan — we’ll review his contract and 2023 market value. Should Green Bay re-sign him or let him walk in free agency?
Robert Tonyan’s Past Production
Tonyan’s carved out a solid role for himself in this Packers offense after joining the team in 2018 as an undrafted free agent. He only accounted for six targets in his rookie season, but he’s slowly become an integral part of the offense since then.
His Packers career was highlighted by a superb 11 receiving touchdowns back in 2020. While he only had 52 receptions on the season — on 59 targets — he was a key part of the offense in the red zone and tied for the 5th-most touchdowns in the NFL within that area of the field.
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Unfortunately, Tonyan’s production has taken a hit since that 2020 campaign, and he’s accounted for just three total touchdowns since that point over the course of 21 games. While he’s on pace for the largest target total of his NFL career in 2022, he hasn’t remained a high-volume asset in the red zone.
The veteran TE has been forced into a larger role this season due to injuries and vacancies at the WR position, but it’s still not enough to the point where he’s going to have a significant market when he hits free agency.
Robert Tonyan’s Contract and Market Value
Tonyan is currently playing on a one-year, $3.75 million contract that is set to expire at the end of this season. He will be an unrestricted free agent at the age of 28.
According to Spotrac, Tonyan has a projected market value of a one-year deal worth $5.1 million. That per-year number puts him in the range of veterans such as Mo Alie-Cox and Nick Boyle.
The Green Bay Packers Depth Chart
Green Bay will head into the 2023 season with only Josiah Deguara under contract at the position. This current front office drafted Deguara in the 3rd round of the 2020 NFL Draft, but he hasn’t lived up to expectations through the first three seasons of his career.
Deguara has just 37 career receptions, 363 total yards, and only two touchdowns. There’s a possibility that he could step into a larger role if the Packers need him to, but banking on him is a major risk that this coaching staff and front office might not be willing to make.
The Packers are currently projected to have just $4 million in cap space for 2023, so they’ll need to be creative if they intend to bring Tonyan back onto the roster. Deciding on the future of Aaron Rodgers will be a key part of determining whether or not they have the financial flexibility to bring the veteran TE back on a short-term deal.
If Rodgers is traded, the Packers will incur a major dead cap number for 2023 and future years. This would signal the need for the Packers to enter a full-on rebuild, which would indicate that the 28-year-old TE is set to play somewhere else in 2023.
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Otherwise, Tonyan’s familiarity with the scheme, past production, and chemistry with Rodgers — if the future Hall of Famer is the starting QB next season — likely would encourage Green Bay to re-sign Tonyan this offseason.
At the end of the day, though, the primary deciding factors will be the final dollar value of Tonyan’s contract and whether the team can make it work within its salary cap structure.