GREEN BAY - The Green Bay Packers left State Farm Stadium with a victory Thursday night, but there also was a loss.
Tight end Robert Tonyan suffered a torn left ACL, according to his agent, Jack Bechta, ending his season and affecting his future. Tonyan will be an unrestricted free agent in March at which time he will be four months into a 10- to 12-month rehab. Bechta said there was no other damage in the knee, which is good news for Tonyan’s recovery.
Tonyan was hit awkwardly in the knee at the end of a 33-yard reception. He went down in a heap and grabbed the back of his leg as soon as he hit the ground. He was able to walk to the sideline with assistance from the medical staff and after being examined in the blue tent was taken to the locker room.
.Coach Matt LaFleur seemed to know after the game that the injury was serious, although he did not reveal what it was.
“I’m sick for Bobby, he means so much for this team,” LaFleur said. “It’s so cool, and I just told him, to watch a guy first get here and see the amount of progress he’s made as a player and just the work he puts in on a daily basis. It’s really cool when you see that progress and see a guy reach that potential.
“I still think there’s more out there for him, but as far as that, long term, I don’t know, but I am sick for him and sick for us. My heart goes out to him.”
In addition to losing Tonyan, the Packers have lost running back Kylin Hill for the season. NFL Network reported that he suffered a season-ending knee injury on a kickoff return in which he took a violent hit and was carted off the field.
Hill has been the No. 3 running back and No. 1 kick returner.
There was potential good news for the Packers.
Outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith tweeted he was returning to Green Bay after having back surgery and rehabbing at his home in Georgia, stating that he was eager to return to the field with his teammates and felt “like a new man.”
Smith missed all but one practice in training camp with the back injury and after playing 18 snaps in the season opener against New Orleans was shut down. A decision was made to have surgery and Smith was expected to be sidelined for a while, potentially the entire season.
It remains to be seen how soon the medical staff would clear him to play if he is feeling good enough to return.
After a breakout season in 2020 in which he caught 52 passes for 586 yards and 11 touchdowns, Tonyan has had a much quieter season this year. In eight games, he caught 18 passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns.
However, the coaches asked him to sacrifice some of his pass-catching duties to help protect third-string left tackle Yosh Nijman when Elgton Jenkins injured his ankle. For three games, Tonyan was used a lot to chip defensive ends and outside linebackers, which affected his ability to get down the field.
His 33-yard catch against the Cardinals was a continuation of a trend that things were getting back to normal for him. The week prior he had caught a touchdown pass from quarterback Aaron Rodgers that helped the Packers beat the Washington Football Team.
Tonyan, who had signed a one-year restricted free-agent deal during the offseason, is the best pass-catching tight end the Packers have.
Veteran Marcedes Lewis, 37, is used mostly as a blocker, and second-year pro Josiah Deguara is off to a slow start after suffering and ACL tear last season. He had a critical mistake in the Cardinals game in which he lined up in the wrong spot, causing the Packers to take a delay of game at the Cardinals’ 1-yard line.
He is not the deep threat Tonyan is, but he is capable of being a receiving tight end. The Packers also have Dominique Dafney, who returned from a hip injury Thursday night and could help fill the void, although he’s more of a blocker than a receiver.
The Packers’ only other tight end on the 53-man roster is Tyler Davis, who has not caught a pass this year. The Packers also have 6-6, 270-pound Bronson Kaufusi on the practice squad, but he is considered more of a blocking tight end.
As for a replacement for Hill, who is likely to go on injured reserve, the Packers have Patrick Taylor on the practice squad. In addition to possibly serving as the No. 3 running back, Taylor returned kickoffs in training camp and could serve there as well.
More: Shorthanded Packers use ground game to upset Cardinals 24-21, improve to 7-1
Dougherty: This time, it's the defense that delivers in a huge win for the Packers
There will be more on this developing story shortly at PackersNews.
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Packers tight end Robert Tonyan out for the season with torn ACL; Za'Darius Smith eyes return - Packers News"
Post a Comment