Cincinnati Bengals Tight End Tyler Eifert Reportedly Battling Back and Knee Injuries
It seems that Cincinnati Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert is banged up once again.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the fifth-year pro is currently dealing with injuries to his back and knee, and his status for their game against the Green Bay Packers this Sunday is uncertain.
Well, that would explain why he hasn't been very productive so far this season.
Eifert has had to deal with a long list of injuries since the Bengals selected him with the 21st overall pick in the 2013 draft. During his rookie campaign, he only missed one game after he sustained a neck stinger in the penultimate week of the regular season, but he only played in one game the following year after he suffered a dislocated elbow.
The former University of Notre Dame tight end missed three games after suffering another stinger injury in the final weeks of the 2015 season, but he managed to stay healthy for most of the campaign and he was named to his first Pro Bowl. Unfortunately, he injured his ankle in the Pro Bowl and he had surgery in the offseason.
Last year, Eifert missed half of the season due to a back injury and he underwent back surgery in December. The Bengals will have to keep a close eye on him if his back is still bothering him. The tight end also had to deal with tendinitis in his knee the past couple of months, and observers have speculated that they may not play him this Sunday if his injuries don't get any better this week.
"The fact that both are giving him problems at the same time is concerning. The Bengals will likely hold him out if he doesn't show any progress in the next few days. It's hard to determine which injury he's struggling with more, but my guess is the knee is giving him more difficulty since it was a problem more recently than was the back," Sports Illustrated's Russell Manalastas said.
If Eifert is out, Tyler Kroft, Ryan Hewitt and C.J. Uzomah should get to play more at tight end.
