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The Green Bay Packers will have their top four tight ends available for the first time this season on Sunday night against the San Francisco 49ers.
According to Rob Demovsky of ESPN, Robert Tonyan is expected to make his return against the 49ers after missing five straight games with a hip injury.
Coach Matt LaFleur said the bye week was big for Tonyan to get over the injury.
“He’s looked good out there,” LaFleur said Thursday.
Tonyan will re-join a tight end group that includes veterans Jimmy Graham and Marcedes Lewis and rookie Jace Sternberger, who came off injured reserve on Nov. 2 and played in the last two games.
In the first five games, Tonyan caught four passes on five targets for 66 yards, including two receptions over 20 yards. He was injured in Dallas on Oct. 6 and hasn’t played since.
The Packers went into the 2019 season with Graham, Lewis, Tonyan and Sternberger as the team’s top four tight ends. Sternberger got hurt to end the preseason, and Tonyan went down in Week 5.
Having both Tonyan and Sternberger available should provide LaFleur with a pair of athletic “move” tight ends who can threaten in the passing game and also hold up as inline blockers in certain personnel groupings.
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