The Pittsburgh Steelers could be looking to add another veteran tight end to the roster this summer. After releasing veteran tight end Jonnu Smith earlier this offseason, Steelers GM Omar Khan could be looking to fill the role of No. 3 tight end on the depth chart behind Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington.
According to Steelers insider Mark Kaboly, the organization hosted 32-year-old tight end Robert Tonyan for a tryout on Tuesday. A former undrafted player out of Indiana State, Tonyan most notably played with current Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers on the Green Bay Packers for six seasons (2017-2022).
Robert Tonyan Fits the Bill for the Pittsburgh Steelers
GettyTE Robert Tonyan caught a career-high 11 touchdowns in 2020 while with the Green Bay Packers.
Here is what Kaboly had to say via social media about the Steelers hosting Tonyan:
“Steelers had tight end Robert Tonyan in for a tryout today. Tonyan played five seasons in Green Bay with Aaron Rodgers.”
Kaboly stated later on in his post that Tonyan played the first three seasons of his Green Bay career for new Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy, but Tonyan didn’t play in a game for the Packers until the 2018 season, which is when McCarthy was later fired by Green Bay.
Still, he has experience playing for him and even more experience catching passes from Rodgers. The best season of his career came in 2020 when he caught 52 passes for a career-best 586 yards and 11 touchdowns (tied for most among tight ends). In total, he caught 137 passes for 1,437 yards and 17 touchdowns. In his other stints with the Chicago Bears, Kansas City Chiefs, and Minnesota Vikings, he recorded a total of 12 receptions for 112 yards.
Despite being more of a role player during his eight-year career, outside of a couple of those seasons with the Packers, Tonyan has proven to be a quality NFL tight end. While he is now more of a third tight end than anything else, that’s exactly what the Steelers could use. Part of the reason why Jonnu Smith was released was that he simply wasn’t getting the right amount of playing time for his talent. Tonyan could flourish in a limited capacity as a field-stretching pass-catcher, especially in an offense with his former head coach and quarterback.
Steelers Look to Give Aaron Rodgers Another Weapon
GettyQB Aaron Rodgers threw 24 touchdowns for the Steelers in 2025.
Tonyan would be yet another veteran addition for the offense in the Steel City this offseason. Remember, Pittsburgh traded for two-time 1,000-yard wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. during free agency. It then signed back-to-back 1,000-yard rusher Rico Dowdle to a multi-year contract. These moves were made with a Pro Bowl wide receiver in DK Metcalf and an all-purpose running back in Jaylen Warren, both in the fold.
The addition of a veteran tight end, such as Tonyan, who has the experience of producing in this league, could be a welcome addition. It could round out the tight end room while also providing more familiarity for this Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers-led offense in 2026.
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