After three games, the Green Bay Packers need to seriously consider lessening the workload of veteran Jimmy Graham and giving more opportunities to second-year tight end Robert Tonyan.

Graham is battling a litany of injuries, including a lingering finger issue from training camp and groin and quad injuries. He has three catches for 30 yards and hasn’t made a catch since Week 1.

Credit Graham for playing through injuries like a pro. He’s almost 33, and he’s being paid handsomely in 2019, but he’s not taking himself off the field. That’s admirable.

What’s concerning is how little Graham is doing on the field.

No one has ever mistaken Graham as an impact blocker. Occasionally, he can get the job done, like when he sealed the edge on Von Miller on an outside run in the first quarter Sunday. But most times, his effort and execution just isn’t there, and it’s killing the Packers offense. In an offense centered around the outside zone run scheme, Graham is very much a square peg being rammed into a round hole.

Coach Matt LaFleur has talked all year about winning on early downs and not getting the offense stuck behind the sticks. Well, asking Graham to block defensive ends and outside linebackers at the point of attack has been a great way of setting up third-and-long. He’s not an inline tight end.

The blocking issues could be excused if he was making impact plays or opening up spaces for others in the passing game. He’s not. He boxed out a safety on a free play for a touchdown catch and drew a pass interference penalty down the seam in Week 1, but his targets the last two games have been throwaways. Graham is increasingly labored in his movement ability and unable to consistently create separation on his own as a receiver.

LaFleur said Monday he needed to provide Graham with more opportunities to make plays. The Packers shouldn’t need to scheme open a 6-7 tight end playing on a $30 million deal.

It’s time to see if Tonyan can handle the role better.

The former receiver looks like a more natural fit in the offense. He gives high-level effort and is consistently improving as a blocker, both on the backside and at the point of attack, and he can run and catch. His speed was apparent early Sunday when he ran past cornerback Isaac Yiadom along the near sideline and nearly made a diving catch in the end zone. Graham couldn’t dream of running away from a cornerback at this point in his career.

Thursday night against the Philadelphia Eagles might be the ideal time to unveil Tonyan in a bigger role.

Graham is hurting. He played only 28 snaps against the Broncos and got hurt again in the first half when cornerback Kareem Jackson cut him down on Aaron Jones’ second touchdown run. It’s a short week. Giving him the better part of two weeks to get healthy might be the best thing to do.

It would also provide Tonyan with a chance to make his mark. Some combination of Tonyan, Marcedes Lewis and fullback Danny Vitale would give the Packers a better mix of heavy personnel and legitimate receiving threats. It could improve the efficiency of the run game and put more speed on the field while also inviting the Eagles to play more base personnel.

Graham could still have some value once he’s healthy again, especially in the red zone. But he doesn’t fit LaFleur’s run-based offense, and his days of dominating between the 20s are probably over. Tonyan might give the Packers a better chance of executing down-to-down. It’s time for Tonyan.