Steelers' Aaron Rodgers Placed A Quick Phone Call To Try To Get A Former Teammate To Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Steelers seemingly have a much better roster on paper than the team did at this time in 2025. The typical areas of weakness have all been addressed. There is now reason to be optimistic about the wide receivers, the offensive line, and even the secondary. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has more weapons surrounding him than he did at any point in 2025, and he should be expected to get better protection in 2026. He is also reuniting with his former head coach Mike McCarthy, and he has another familiar face on the offense with tight end Robert Tonyan.

Tonyan was a reliable tight end for Rodgers for a few seasons while he was with the Green Bay Packers. The veteran tight end also played under McCarthy in Green Bay for a little over one season. Tonyan has been in the league for eight years, and he has mostly been a depth piece at tight end. However, the best years of his career came while he was catching passes from Rodgers, including the 2020 season when he tied Travis Kelce for the most receiving touchdowns by a tight end on the season.

Tonyan spent the 2025 season with the Kansas City Chiefs, and he remained a free agent for most of the 2026 offseason. He attended mandatory minicamp with Pittsburgh as a tryout player, and he quickly signed a one-year deal. The tight end spoke with Chris Harlan of TribLive, and he shared the process of joining the Steelers.

"Just a great opportunity to come in here and try to get back on track," Tonyan said. "What better place than a place with coaches and players I’ve been around? When you get a call from Mike and Aaron, it’s a good spot to be in. When you get that call and you get a familiar offense, familiar players, familiar coaches, it’s a great opportunity to come in and just do your role. It’s definitely a good feeling to come in here with some comfort, with a quarterback that trusts you and that you’ve had a bunch of reps with."

The familiarity that was already present in Pittsburgh gave Tonyan a reason to come and check it all out, and that was especially true when he got a call from Rodgers. When the four-time league MVP calls, it is probably best to answer. Tonyan did that, and now he is back with his former quarterback and head coach.

Tonyan probably won't play a major role on offense for Pittsburgh. Both Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington will be the two tight ends that see the field the most, but Rodgers has trust in Tonyan. It'll be a battle for that third tight end spot, and the relationship between the quarterback and tight end could give Tonyan a leg up over some other players that might be competing for a roster spot. Other tight ends to keep an eye on include Jaheim Bell and JJ Galbreath.

Steelers Clearly Allow Aaron Rodgers To Have Some Say

Rodgers has always been a fan of bringing back former teammates. That was clear when he went to the New York Jets and was followed by guys from his time with Green Bay. He was even eventually joined by Davante Adams. In 2025, the Steelers signed wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling after the season had began, and he wound up seeing the field later in the year. 

Now, Tonyan is brought into the mix. The quarterback clearly has some sort of say when it comes to the bottom of the depth chart and who is taking on some of these roles, which is a bit interesting.

What do you think about these comments from Tonyan? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!

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