Tyler Eifert Reportedly Will Undergo Season-Ending Back Surgery

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert will miss the rest of the 2017 season, as he's decided to undergo surgery on the back injury that has limited him to two games this year, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Schefter and Field Yates first reported Eifert was deciding whether to have back surgery for the third time.

Injuries have been a problem throughout Eifert's career. In his first four years, he missed 27 games and has yet to play a full season.

When healthy, Eifert can be a solid receiver, especially inside the red zone. He had 52 receptions for 615 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2015, which helped get him to the Pro Bowl.

Eifert followed that up by appearing in just eight games in 2016, and then the back injury sidelined him after Cincinnati's 13-9 defeat to the Houston Texans in Week 2 this year.

After they opened the year 2-3, the Bengals are already outsiders for the playoffs, so Eifert's injury may not mean much with regard to the bigger picture. The 27-year-old is in the last year of his contract, though, and lingering questions about his durability will provide little help when he looks to receive a new deal.