Getty QB Aaron Rodgers and TE Robert Tonyan of the Green Bay Packers.
Robert Tonyan is ready to win a Super Bowl with Aaron Rodgers. The Green Bay Packers tight end just needs his quarterback to return to the team first. In a May 29 interview on The Rich Eisen Show, Tonyan was asked about the current situation in Green Bay, in which organized team activities have begun without the team’s MVP quarterback.
Rodgers, as it happens, is vacationing in Hawaii with fiancée Shailene Woodley and friends, actor Miles Teller and his wife, Keleigh. The future Hall of Fame quarterback made an appearance on SportsCenter this week, but was noncommittal about his future.
One of the bigger breakout players in the NFL last season, Tonyan became a favorite target of Rodgers, catching 52 passes for 586 yards, and his 11 touchdowns tied for first among all tight ends in 2020. When Eisen asked him his thoughts about the Packers quarterback, Tonyan demurred slightly at first before getting candid about Rodgers’ potential return.
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Tonyan: ‘There’s No Gray Area With Me’
“Aaron’s been the quarterback of the Green Bay Packers for 16 years. I’ve been the tight end for four years. I think that’s above my pay grade,” Tonyan began. “I don’t want to talk for him and all that stuff. That’s just a business thing. I’m just going to continue to get better and play tight end for the Green Bay Packers. If, when or whatever happens and Aaron comes back, I’m ready, and there’s no gray area with me. I’m ready to hit the ground running and win a Super Bowl whenever he’s back.”
Tonyan also says he, as well as his teammates, miss hitting the field with his quarterback.
“With any teammate who’s important to you, whoever’s important to you, you want him there,” Tonyan said. “You’re not thinking about the whole situation and the whole process. I think we’re just missing our teammate.”
In addition to Rodgers, all of the Packers’ top five wide receivers, including Davante Adams, Allen Lazard, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Equanimeous St. Brown and Devin Funchess, were all absent for the first several days of OTAs, leaving their collective absence another thing for Packer fans to ponder.
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Rodgers Will Start to See Increased Fines for Missing Training Camp
If he continues to ghost Green Bay, Rodgers is going to lose a pretty penny. Per Packers salary cap expert Ken Ingalls, Rodgers will receive a $50,000 fine for each day of training camp he misses. After five days out, on day six, he’ll give up his $2,065,000 signing and roster bonuses. Additionally, on days 7-16, he’ll see signing and roster bonus fines of $137,667 for each day he’s out. As Ingalls also notes, Rodgers won’t be fined the $816,667 game check fine for missing any preseason games.
I’ve seen a lot of wrong information on training camp fines for Aaron Rodgers.
🔹Per Day: $50,000 mandatory fine
🔹Day 6: $2,065,000 signing & roster bonus
🔹Day 7-16: $137,667 signing & roster bonus
He is NOT subject to a $816,667 game check fine for missing pre-season games.
For what it’s worth, a few of Rodgers’ teammates remain hopeful he’ll return soon.
“I haven’t heard him say anything other than that, so I expect him to be,” Packers starting safety Adrian Amos said on May 25. “But I’m not going to go home and cry if something else happens. I’m just playing it day by day, but of course, you want one of the greatest — if not the greatest — quarterback ever on your team…But everybody has to go about their business, and I’m not going to knock anybody for getting what they feel like they deserve.”
It’s clear Rodgers’ teammates want him back, but it’s equally clear that he’d like to see some changes in the team’s culture before that happens. Thus, the saga continues.
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