The Bears on Thursday agreed to terms on a one-year contract with tight end Robert Tonyan, pending a physical.
Tonyan, 28, spent his first five NFL seasons with the Packers, accumulating 1,437 receiving yards on 137 receptions with 17 touchdowns. The tight end appeared in 68 games with 18 starts between 2018 and 2022.
After signing with the Lions as an undrafted free agent out of Indiana State in 2017, Tonyan was released by Detroit after training camp and later picked up by the Packers on Dec. 5.
Tonyan totaled 177 receiving yards on 14 receptions in his first two seasons then broke out in 2020 when he caught 52 passes for a career-high 586 yards and 11 touchdowns, tying the single-season franchise record for the most TD receptions by a tight end. His 11 TDs were tied with Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce for the most in the league in 2020.
While Tonyan missed half of the 2021 season with an injury, he bounced back in 2022 to catch a career-high 53 passes for 470 yards and two touchdowns. The sixth-year pro was an efficient target, catching 79.1 percent of the passes thrown his way, which ranked fourth in the NFL among tight ends.
Tonyan, who is from McHenry, Ill., is the second free agent to come home this week after linebacker T.J. Edwards, a Lake Villa native, signed with the Bears Wednesday.
At McHenry Community High School, Tonyan was an all-conference quarterback his junior and senior year, setting the school record with 5,000 career passing yards. Tonyan finished his college career as Indiana State's leader in career touchdowns with 20 and single-season TDs with 10. He also ranks No. 2 in program history with 2,047 receiving yards.
Tonyan will join the Bears' young tight end room consisting of Cole Kmet, Jake Tonges and Chase Allen.
Take a look at new Bears tight end Robert Tonyan in action. Tonyan, 28, spent his first five NFL seasons with the Packers, accumulating 1,437 receiving yards on 137 receptions with 17 touchdowns.
