RobertTonyan

Aug 28

Reunited with Aaron Rodgers, Tonyan has made a compelling case to stay on the 53-man roster.

Of all the players in this story, the 32-year-old tight end has enjoyed one of the best preseasons. He's caught six passes for 78 yards in the first two preseason games, showing in stadiums what we've seen at Saint Vincent College. Prediction: Keep. Truly, Tonyan is one of the hardest decisions the Steelers will have to make. They're going to want him to stick around in some way. But will he be a regular enough part of the game plan to keep on the 53-man roster, or is he more Pat Freiermuth insurance that the Steelers can stash on the practice squad? Given Tonyan's relationship with Rodgers, I'm leaning toward Tonyan making the 53, but I've gone back and forth on him a lot. I truly could see it going either way.

Ray Fittipaldo·Aug 14

Howard, making his NFL debut, was just as impressive. Howard led a two-minute drive at the end of the first half that resulted in a touchdown. He finished 7 for 9 for 86 yards. Two of the biggest plays on the drive were completions to tight end Robert Tonyan, including a 22-yarder down the seam to the 1-yard line. Rookie Drew Allar wasn’t too shabby, either. The third-round pick out of Penn State led three touchdown drives in the second half and threw for 154 yards and two touchdowns. His QB rating was 155.1, a near flawless performance.