Bengals TE Tyler Eifert Hoping To Return In Week 4 From Ankle Surgery

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that Bengals TE Tyler Eifert is targeting Weeks 4-6 for his return from ankle surgery.

• According to Rapoport, Eifert is hoping that he’ll be back to return to the team in Week 4, but the team plans to be “safe” with him.
• As for his progress, Rapoport says that Eifert just started jogging, so that’s at least a positive sign for him moving forward.

Eifert is currently on the team’s active/PUP list. Although, it sounds like there’s at least a chance he could open the year on the Bengals’ PUP list, which would cost him the firs six weeks 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.