Bengals TE Tyler Eifert Undergoing Ankle Surgery Today, Could Miss A Few Games

Yesterday, Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer reported that Bengals TE Tyler Eifert was set to undergo a “minimal procedure” on his troublesome ankle that was expected to require a three-month recovery period.

• Source tells Adam Schefter that Eifert “could miss” the first couple of games of the season after the surgery is completed on Wednesday.
• Ian Rapoport adds that Eifert is in Charlotte today for the procedure, which will be performed by Dr. Robert Anderson. According to Rapoport, Eifert is specifically having a loose ligament on the side of his foot repaired.
• Rapoport says that Eifert’s surgery is still considered minor, and there is hope of him being ready for the start of the season. However, the possibility exists that he could be out the first few games.

After loosing their No. 2 and 3 receivers in free agency, Eifert is in position to see even more work in 2016, so losing him for any period of time would be a blow to the Bengals’ offensive attack.

The good news, of course, is that there’s at least a chance he could return in advance of the start of the season.

Eifert, 25, was taken with the No. 21 overall pick during the 2013 NFL Draft. He was in the final year of his four-year, $8.256 million rookie contract that included a $4.384 million and stands to make a base salary of $765,409 for the 2016 season.

The Bengals picked up his fifth-year option a few months that will run them over $4.7 million in 2017, but is guaranteed only for injury and won’t prevent them from working on a long-term extension over the next year.

In 2015, Eifert appeared in 13 games for the Bengals and recorded 52 receptions for 615 yards receiving and 13 touchdowns. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 3 tight end out of 67 qualifying players.