Getty Packers head coach Matt LaFleur will have to fill a major void with Robert Tonyan sidelined.
Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur was emotional over Robert Tonyan’s injury following the team’s Week 8 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Now we know why.
The 27-year-old tight end exited with a left injury in the third quarter after being tackled during Thursday’s game on October 28. According to Tonyan’s agent, Jack Bechta, the starting tight end suffered an ACL tear and is out for the season.
I can unfortunately confirm Robert Tonyan suffered a Left knee ACL tear. Isolated Clean with no lateral damage.
Tonyan was in the midst of one of his better games of the season, hauling in three catches for 49 yards in less than three quarters of work.
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LaFleur ‘Sick’ Following Tonyan’s Injury
LaFleur’s comments on Tonyan’s injury during postgame media availability was an indication of how severe his injury could be.
“Yeah, I don’t want to speak to much on that right now. I’m sick for Bobby,” LaFleur said. “He means so much to this team. It’s so cool, and I just told him to watch a guy when you first hit your… see the amount of progress that he’s made as a player and just the work that he puts in on a daily basis. It’s really cool when you see that progress, when you see a guy reach their potential and I still think there’s more out there for him, but as far as whether that’s long-term, I don’t know. But I am sick for him, I’m sick for us. My heart goes out to him.”
Through eight games this season, Tonyan had 18 catches for 204 yards and two touchdowns. The fifth-year tight end tied a team record with 11 touchdown catches last season.
The Packers will likely lean heavily on veteran tight end Marcedes Lewis and youngsters Dominique Dafney and Josiah Deguara.
Lewis serves mainly as a blocking tight end — 156 of his 232 snaps (67.2%) have been as a blocker, according to Pro Football Focus — so the Packers will either rely on Daffney and Deguara in the passing game, or find a veteran via the free agency or trade market route.
Rookie Kylin Hill Out for Season
Speaking of injuries, another Packers offensive player will be out for the season, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
“Packers rookie RB Kylin Hill suffered a season-ending knee injury last night, per source. Product of a violent collision on a kick return that also left Cardinals RB Jonathan Ward with a concussion.”
Running back/kick returner Kylin Hill suffered a season-ending knee injury on a special teams play during Thursday’s game against the Cardinals.
The rookie collided with Cardinals running back Jonathan Ward that resulted in both of them getting carted off of the field.
The Packers were already drastically short-handed entering Week 8. Seven starters — including receivers Davante Adams, Allen Lazard and Marquez Valdes-Scantling — were out during the victory over the Cardinals.
Adams and Lazard were placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list heading into the game while Valdes-Scantling has been sidelined since Week 3 due to a hamstring injury.
Hill had appeared in all eight games this season, with his contributions mainly centered on special teams. The seventh-round draft selection ends his rookie season with 10 kickoff returns for 199 yards (19.9 yards per return).