Tyler Eifert injury update: No ‘long-term concerns’ about playing football

Tyler Eifert received some great news after his surgery.

The Cincinnati Bengals tight end shared the news with Katherine Terrell of ESPN that there are no long-term concerns about his back surgeries and playing football once he recovers. Even better is the doctors also said there wouldn’t be any risk to his quality of life if he continued to play.

This is obviously great news for Eifert and his family. Unfortunately, due to the business of the league, it leads to the question where will he be playing football when he is recovered.

Eifert is currently rehabbing in Cincinnati. He says that is due to the familiarity with the staff. Plus, his teammates are there for comfort. He did note that there is a lot to be determined in free agency, which leads you to believe there is a good chance he ends up somewhere else if the situation is right.

The Bengals will be in a very tough spot when free agency rolls around. Eifert is finishing his rookie contract, and when he was on the field, he was one of the best tight ends in the league. Unfortunately, Eifert never played a full season for the team.

His best year came in 2015 when he caught 13 touchdowns in 13 games. He finished the season as a pro bowler, but that game may have ended up altering his career even more. He ended up hurting his ankle during the game and missed half of the 2016 season.

This year he hurt his hip and back at some point during Week 2’s game against Houston, which prompted him to get season-ending back surgery that hopefully would take care of the issue for good as his back has been a reoccurring problem.

What kind of contract do the Bengals offer to a player like Eifert? If history says anything, they will likely try and let the market determine that. They will probably make an offer they think is fair, but if Eifert doesn’t like it, he would likely be allowed to see what someone else will give him.

Hopefully, the Bengals offer him a very incentive based contract, so the team is protected. But also if Eifert plays the way we know he can that he gets paid what he is worth.

A more realistic option is someone offers him a one-year deal to let him prove he can stay healthy and is worth big money. That way he can hit free agency again with more momentum.

No matter where he ends up playing it is just nice to know he still has a shot at his dream after this season.