Bengals TE Tyler Eifert Suffers A Back Injury, Still Hoping To Play In Week 5

Update:

Adam Schefter is now reporting that Bengals TE Tyler Eifert did not reinjure his ankle, but instead suffered a different injury and is now being evaluated.

• Bob Holtzman reports that Eifert’s new injury is a back issue.
• However, a source close to Eifert tells Holtzman that he has not ruled out trying to play on Sunday and his back injury is believed to be a day to day issue.
• A source previously Holtzman earlier in the day that Eifert would not play Sunday, which he believes is still the most likely scenario.

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Katherine Terrell and Adam Schefter are reporting that Bengals TE Tyler Eifert suffered a setback at practice this week and his status is now uncertain moving forward.

Earlier in the day, Terrell mentioned that Eifert was noticeably limping in the locker room on Monday, but did appear to head out to team’s closed practice.

There had been some talk that Eifert could return this week but it sounds like he’ll need more time to ensure his ankle is fully healed.

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.

We’ll have more regarding Eifert’s injury and timetable as the news is available.