Packers’ Robert Tonyan admits his name rhymes with everyone’s favorite munchies

We finally know how to pronounce Robert Tonyan’s name. 

One of the most unexpected breakout stars of the 2020 NFL season has been Green Bay Packers tight end Robert Tonyan, a former undrafted free agent who went from being a practice squad body to an integral part of one of the league’s best passing attacks. Tonyan’s rise has been so meteoric and so quick that we haven’t even gotten a firm consensus on how to pronounce his name. The Wisconsin-wide tragedy has finally come to an end, as Tonyan cleared up the pronunciation issue once and for all.

While announcers have decided that Tonyan’s name is pronounced like “Tahn-yin”, the man himself has confirmed that it is pronounced “tun-yin”, adding that it rhymes with “Funyun.”

Robert Tonyan will become a household name if he keeps playing like this

Tonyan faced long odds of making the roster, let alone contributing, in 2020, as the presence of former third-round pick Jace Sternberger and 2020 third-rounder Josiah Deguara was seemingly going to relegate Tonyan to the third tight end role. However, Sternberger’s slow development and Deguara’s injury pushed Tonyan into the spotlight, and the former Indiana State Sycamore has responded by hauling in five touchdowns, including three on Monday Night against the Atlanta Falcons.

Tonyan clearly has the trust of Aaron Rodgers, which has been notoriously hard for pass catchers to earn. As long as Rodgers believes in Tonyan’s ability to secure catches with a man draped all over him, expect a steady volume of targets for Matt LaFleur’s top tight end choice.

Now that we finally know how Tonyan pronounces his name, his ascension atop the hypothetical tight end power rankings will continue given his ability to seek out the football in the red zone.