Player
Robert Tonyan
TE
Undrafted free agents face steep roster chances at TE, making a 10+ TD season a statistical once-in-a-career outlier. Tonyan hitting that mark keeps company only with the UDFA TEs who became all-time greats.
Only 5 times in NFL history has an undrafted TE posted 10+ receiving TDs in a season. Tonyan's 2020 is one of them.
RareUndrafted TE seasons with 10+ TDs
| Player | Season | TDs | Rec |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antonio Gates | 2004 | 13 | 81 |
| Wesley Walls | 1999 | 12 | 63 |
| Antonio Gates | 2014 | 12 | 69 |
| Tony Gonzalez | 1999 | 11 | 76 |
| Robert Tonyan | 2020 | 11 | 52 |
Why it matters. Undrafted free agents face steep roster chances at TE, making a 10+ TD season a statistical once-in-a-career outlier. Tonyan hitting that mark keeps company only with the UDFA TEs who became all-time greats.
His 2020 season: 11 TDs on 52 catches. Tied for the NFL TE TD lead with Travis Kelce.
RareTonyan 2020 breakout (regular season)
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Receptions | 52 |
| Yards | 586 |
| TDs | 11 |
| Y/R | 11.3 |
| Targets | 59 |
2020 TE TD leaders
| Player | TDs |
|---|---|
| Travis Kelce | 11 |
| Robert Tonyan | 11 |
| Darren Waller | 9 |
| Jonnu Smith | 8 |
| Jimmy Graham | 8 |
Why it matters. An undrafted TE tying Travis Kelce for the TE touchdown lead during an Aaron Rodgers MVP season is the kind of peak that defines a career, even if it lasted just one year.
In 2020, Tonyan converted 63.6% of red-zone targets into TDs — the highest rate among all TEs with 8+ red-zone targets that season.
Split2020 TE red-zone TD conversion rate (8+ RZ targets)
| Player | RZ Targets | RZ TDs | RZ TD% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Tonyan | 11 | 7 | 63.6% |
| Jordan Reed | 8 | 4 | 50.0% |
| Travis Kelce | 22 | 10 | 45.5% |
| Austin Hooper | 9 | 4 | 44.4% |
| Jonnu Smith | 19 | 8 | 42.1% |
Why it matters. Red-zone TD conversion rate isolates pure finishing ability near the goal line. Tonyan's 63.6% rate in 2020 was not just the best at TE — it reflects Aaron Rodgers' trust in him as the primary red-zone option, a role that evaporated after the ACL tear.
Tonyan's 11 TDs in 2020 ranks tied for 14th in NFL history for TDs by a TE in a single season — not 5th.
ComparisonTE single-season TD leaders (12+ TDs)
| Player | Year | TDs |
|---|---|---|
| Rob Gronkowski | 2011 | 17 |
| Jimmy Graham | 2013 | 16 |
| Antonio Gates | 2004 | 13 |
| Vernon Davis | 2009 | 13 |
| Vernon Davis | 2013 | 13 |
| Tyler Eifert | 2015 | 13 |
| Eric Ebron | 2018 | 13 |
| Wesley Walls | 1999 | 12 |
| Julius Thomas | 2013 | 12 |
| Antonio Gates | 2014 | 12 |
| Rob Gronkowski | 2014 | 12 |
| Julius Thomas | 2014 | 12 |
| Travis Kelce | 2022 | 12 |
Why it matters. The '5th-most ever' narrative overstates the historical rank — but correctly stating top-20 all-time is still a remarkable achievement for an undrafted player. Context matters: Tonyan sits in a tier that includes Hall of Famers and perennial Pro Bowlers.
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