Chicago Bears tight end Robert Tonyan was brought in as part of an offensive overhaul this past offseason. One that also brought with it the acquisition of wide receiver DJ Moore, running back D?Onta Foreman, and even fellow tight end Marcedes Lewis.
Instead of those pieces coming together as planned. It has been a season of inconsistency, injuries, and missed opportunities for the entire team. Opportunities like in Week 15 versus the Cleveland Browns, when Bears quarterback Justin Fields sent a deep shot to a wide-open Tonyan that could have taken the former Green Bay Packer into the end zone had he held on to it.
He did not and the Bears went on to lose that game.
In a conversation with Clocker Sports, Tonyan opened up about that play, the season as a whole, quarterback Justin Fields, and more.
Robert Tonyan Talks Drops, Justin Fields & More
Bears Expected ‘Growing Pains’ on Offense
Clocker Sports: This offseason you were part of the big ballyhooed revamping of the offense. Things haven’t quite panned out. Just where are you at right now with the season how it’s going so far?
Robert Tonyan: Yeah, we knew there was going to be growing pains. Just especially when you bring in a bunch of things, a bunch of new people going on, and obviously with the second year in the offense. People still learning and stuff like that. So I mean we’ve had our ups and we have our downs. But I mean that’s kind of the flow of an NFL season. I feel like if we had a couple different plays that went the opposite way than they went, I think we would be talking about this season completely different. But that’s football, that’s the NFL. It’s hard to win.
CS: You come from a place where this offense was run to perfection. How far off would you say you guys are from getting to that level?
RT: Not far off. Like I said, there’s just certain plays where it’s just inches, or a call, or an execution ? just finishing plays [and] we’re talking about this completely different.
CS: Is there something that the players need to do? Is it just a matter of reps?
RT: I think it’s just reps: playing together, different looks, people getting comfortable in certain positions. I mean you’re asking a lot. And then, obviously, with Justin [Fields], doing your own protections ? he has to run 50 yards and then get back and make a protection call. That’s hard for some to do, especially at a young age. This offense is complex. I mean something for him is just reps and getting it under his belt, and seeing things, and playing. Yeah, I don’t think we’re far off at all.
Robert Tonyan Owns Up to Drop vs Browns
CS: You mentioned the plays here and there, you did have the play last week. Just walk me through what happened with that play.
RT: S***, dropped it. I mean I think it’s my second drop in the NFL. I think I had one my rookie year. That’s it. I’m just as surprised as probably everyone. But, yeah, I mean I just dropped it.
TONYAN DROPPED A PERFECT PASS…..
FIELDS IS THE FUTURE OF THE FRANCHISE @ChicagoBears pic.twitter.com/EWxgx8FNAI
? Video from: @TSV__1 (@TSV__1) December 17, 2023
CS: Are you a guy who’s on social media at all?
RT: No, I haven’t been on social media in almost three, yeah, two, three months.
CS: Is that intentional?
RT: Yeah, I just was kind of just over it and just wanted to focus on what’s important and stuff like that. And I’m home and around my family now, and around all the people that I want to stay in contact with, so yeah. I couldn’t imagine how good I’m being talked about. But that’s the thing: I bet it’s, ?Oh he can’t catch.? But it’s like, I led the league in pass percentage catching for years. So it’s like, it is what it is.
CS: Is that kind of stuff, knowing what you’ve done, is that what helps you get through some down times?
RT: Yeah. Also, a bunch of the defensive guys came up to me after ? the guys I played against throughout the years ? and just came up to me and just you know said, ?Don’t worry about it.? BoJack [Eddie Jackson] came up to me right after and was like ? someone I played against for 5 years ? and he’s like, ?You know who you are. Don’t worry about it.? Just for me holding myself to a super high standard, the frustrating part about the season is you’re not getting those catches, those plays, and stuff like that. So a meatball like that that you’re just like come on. So, yeah, it’s just a drop. And it doesn’t happen, but it happens. So it’s tough.
Robert Tonyan on Justin Fields’ Progress
CS: Cowboys pass rusher Micah Parsons was pretty adamant that Justin should be the guy that stays around and leads his team into the future. You’ve seen him on the other side, now you played with him. What are your thoughts on him and maybe how he’s progressed since you’ve seen him in the first place?
RT: He?s progressed greatly. Like I said this is a hard offense to put on the quarterback. Especially someone who is running on top of it. Like I said, you got a big city on a kid’s shoulders, and that’s tough for anyone. But for how he’s handling it, and how he’s playing ? there’s going to be ups and downs of anyone in the league. And I think it’s just portrayed a different way because it’s the quarterback. You see his ups and how lights out he plays. So, yeah, I don’t think that that is a true issue.
CS: How’s the media been different from being in Green Bay and being out here?
RT: I think it’s just cuz there’s a city and there’s actual people who are ? economy runs off of this. I guess in Green Bay it kind of does too. Because if there’s no Packers, I don’t think there’s a Green Bay, Wisconsin. But, yeah, it’s just more protected out there, and stuff like that. A lot more cutthroat [in Chicago]. But I haven’t been on social media enough to see that and take a look at that. But I mean we got our jobs, you guys got your jobs. Sometimes we’re good at it, sometimes we’re bad at it, and vice versa.