Tyler Eifert Injury: Updates on Bengals TE's Recovery from Shoulder Surgery

The Cincinnati Bengals have confirmed that second-year tight end Tyler Eifert is out for the remainder of the season due to a shoulder injury.

Eifert suffered the injury in the opening game of the season and has been on the sideline since. As the Bengals prepare for a Week 17 showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers, coach Marvin Lewis revealed the news, per Paul Dehner Jr. of The Cincinnati Enquirer:

The Notre Dame product was positive after the initial injury back in September, hence the team initially placing him on injured reserve-designated to return.

“Every time I feel like I'm getting back into it, something happens,” Eifert said, per Reggie Hayes of The News-Sentinel. “It is what it is. It happened. It's hard to make the most of an injury, but it's the situation I'm in right now. So just be positive and keep going.”

Cincinnati will continue to lean on veteran Jermaine Gresham (59 catches, 440 yards, four touchdowns) moving forward in the coming weeks.

The lack of Eifert, who was supposed to seize the top slot on the depth chart, also means more pressure on backs, such as Giovani Bernard, and wideouts, such as Mohamed Sanu and A.J. Green, as the Bengals prepare for a fourth straight playoff appearance.