The Pittsburgh Steelers saw the 2026 offseason bring about several changes, especially to the current roster. Now that the team has officially started training camp in Latrobe, PA, they are getting looks at who will fit in with players from last year's roster in hopes to quickly turn things around in the Steel City. As Mike McCarthy begins his inaugural season with the organization following a long NFL tenure as a head coach, he is reunited with one player that he previously coached. This player is one that he previously coached with the Green Bay Packers and it is not his quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Taylor Ollason / Pittsburgh Steelers
New Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy greets members of the organization following his introductory press conference.
On Saturday morning, Mike DeFabo of The Athletic tweeted out the value that tight end Robert Tonyan is providing to the team already. While he was only in Green Bay for two of his current head coach's seasons, they now reunite for the Black and Gold. McCarthy made strong mention of the football instincts that he provides on the field.
Mike McCarthy said TE Robert Tonyan is a "very instinctive" player, "particularly how he attacks the middle reads, the post routes, the alley routes."
— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) August 1, 2026
"I think we're extremely fortunate to have Robert. He's a really good fit for how we want to play."
Following Saturday's practice, the media spoke to McCarthy and he was asked about his veteran tight end. He doubled down on what DeFabo tweeted earlier in the day. He also made mention of following him throughout his career after their time together with the Packers.
“Robert’s [Tonyan] a h**l of a player just having been around him as a rookie,” McCarthy said. “Have always watched his career after my time with him in Green Bay. He’s a very instinctive player, he’s very natural in the pass game. You can see particularly how he attacks the middle reads, the post routes, the alley routes. So much of that is the body language in tune with the clock of the quarterback. We’re extremely fortunate to have Robert here.”
With McCarthy being offensive-minded as a head coach, this could be a big wrinkle to the offense in the 2026 season. They finished in the bottom half of the league in both passing and rushing offense in 2025, so they will look to turn things around. This can also come in the former of the other tight ends with Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington.
Steelers Could See Increased Tight End Usage
With the offensive struggles in 2025, the front office went out and acquired some help quickly by trading for wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. They then ended up drafting rookie wide receiver Germie Bernard, who looks to help DK Metcalf bounce back in the 2026 season with Rodgers by being another player on the field the opposing defense can't ignore. While the receiver room is seemingly much better on paper, tight end could be a position the team looks to increase the usage of in 2026.
One player to look at is Freiermuth, who could have been used more in the brutal 30-6 first round playoff loss in January. In a road loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in October last year, he caught five passes for 111 yards and found the end zone twice. An increased role for him, as well as Washington and the instinctive Tonyan, may go a long way in finding some answers offensively for the team during the 2026 season.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers celebrates after throwing a touchdown to tight end Pat Freiermuth during a professional football game in 2025.
With the Steelers' veteran tight end reunited with his coach from Green Bay, it appears he can provide tremendous value to the team following massive organizational changes. For an offense that had some poor rankings in 2025, it can also go a long way in orchestrating a big turnaround to increase their production in the upcoming year. While Tonyan's on-field role may not be a big one, his experience could go a long way in mentoring some young Pittsburgh tight ends.
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