Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert is expected to miss “multiple weeks” as he recovers from a back injury, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). On a positive note, Eifert won’t require surgery for his ailing back, per Schefter.
Eifert, of course, is no stranger to injury, as he’s appeared in only 39 of a possible 67 games since entering the NFL as a first-round pick in 2013. His back ailment dates back to the latter part of the 2016 campaign — after missing the first seven games of last year with an ankle issue suffered in the Pro Bowl, Eifert was placed on injured reserve in December after experiencing back pain.
The Bengals were without Eifert in Sunday’s loss to the Packers, and will go forward with internal options Tyler Kroft and C.J. Uzomah, while fullbacks Ryan Hewitt and Cethan Carter are also capable of playing tight end. Cincinnati faces the division-rival (and similarly winless) Browns in Week 4, then takes on the Bills before a Week 6 bye.
Eifert, 27, is scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency next spring after his fifth-year option expires.
Here we go again