The Green Bay Packers see their rivals sign former players every offseason, but the Minnesota Vikings are doubling down this year by signing former tight end Robert Tonyan.
ESPN’s Adam Scherter reported via X that Tonyan was joining the Vikings. Fellow ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler contributed to the report.
Tonyan last played for the Packers back in 2022, but had a major impact when healthy in Green Bay. Now, he’ll get the opportunity yet again to play his former team twice in 2024.
Robert Tonyan’s Path to Minnesota
It’s been a while since Tonyan was an impact playmaker. However, his 2020 season will go down as one of the most impressive years ever by a Packers tight end.
Tonyan started his college career as a quarterback. He moved to wide receiver in his second season at Indiana State, and became a star player for the Sycamores. In three years as a pass catcher, he caught 150 passes for 2,047 yards and 20 touchdowns.
Because of his small-school pedigree, Tonyan went undrafted in the 2017 NFL Draft. The Detroit Lions picked him up as a UDFA, but cut him before the final 53-man roster was assembled.
The Packers brought Tonyan onto their practice squad, but it took time for him to find his NFL footing. He didn’t become a full-time contributor until 2020, but it was the biggest year of his career. He played in all 16 games, leading all tight ends in the NFL with 11 receiving touchdowns while adding 586 yards on 52 receptions.
Tonyan was hoping for another strong performance in 2021. However, a torn ACL ended his season eight games into the year. He was unable to return to 2020 form the following two seasons, leading to him signing with the Chicago Bears before the start of 2023.
The Bears rarely utilized Tonyan, who caught just 11 passes with zero touchdowns this past season. The former UDFA is hoping to have a different kind of impact with the Vikings next season.
Minnesota’s History of Signing Packers Players
Tonyan is far from the first former Packers player to sign with the Vikings.
Minnesota also signed Packers fan favorite Aaron Jones this offseason. Green Bay moved on from the veteran running back after signing Josh Jacobs to a four-year deal. The Vikings wasted no time, signing Jones less than 24 hours after his release.
Other recent players to sign in Minnesota after playing with the Packers include Dean Lowry and Za’Darius Smith. However, this trend dates back even farther than recent history.
The most famous (or infamous) Vikings signing of a former Packers player came in 2009. Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre was contemplating retirement, but signed with the Vikings instead. While he had some success in Minnesota, he was unable to lead them to a Super Bowl after a back-breaking interception in the NFC Championship.
Other former players include wide receiver Greg Jennings, kicker Ryan Longwell, and All-Pro safety Darren Sharper.
Despite consistently signing former Packers players, the Vikings have been unable to replicate the same kind of success that Green Bay has had over the history of the two franchises.
