The Pittsburgh Steelers signed veteran tight end Robert Tonyan on Thursday after he worked out as a tryout player at minicamp, the team announced.
Tonyan, who turned 32 in April, will be the sixth NFL franchise on his résumé and joins a tight end room that already includes Darnell Washington, Pat Freiermuth and rookies Lake McCree and Chamon Metayer.
Tonyan spent five seasons with the Green Bay Packers from 2017 to 2022, catching 137 passes for 1,437 yards and 17 career touchdowns, including an 11-touchdown season in 2020 when he emerged as a red-zone target in Green Bay.
After leaving the Packers following the 2022 season he bounced around the league, spending time with the Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings and Kansas City Chiefs. Over the past three seasons he appeared in 39 games but caught only 12 passes between the 2023 and 2025 campaigns.
The signing continues an offseason trend for the Steelers: the club has added several former Packers figures, including quarterback Aaron Rodgers, defensive lineman Dean Lowry and safety Darnell Savage. Tonyan’s arrival is the latest veteran piece to be inserted into Pittsburgh’s revamped roster.
For the Steelers, Tonyan brings a history of red-zone production and veteran experience. His 137 career catches and 17 touchdowns — and that 11-touchdown burst in 2020 — are the statistical anchors that accompany him into the new locker room.
At the same time, the recent usage pattern that produced 12 receptions across three seasons is the counterpoint. Tonyan’s low target and catch totals from 2023 through 2025 create a clear question about how much he will be asked to contribute in Pittsburgh’s passing game.
Thursday’s deal formalizes Tonyan’s place in the roster structure: he will join the Steelers’ tight end group and be available to coaches as they shape snap distributions. The team has not announced a specific role for him or how he will be deployed alongside Washington, Freiermuth and the rookies.
The unresolved fact that matters most now is straightforward: what role will Robert Tonyan play in the Steelers’ tight end rotation? The club added him after evaluating him at minicamp, but it has not outlined whether he will be used primarily as a blocker, a situational red-zone target, or depth behind Peiermuth and Washington.
Pittsburgh’s coaches will carry that decision forward; for now, Tonyan’s signing changes the roster picture and leaves the roster battle at tight end open as the next step in the offseason process.
