The Cincinnati Bengals have reached a one-year deal agreement with Tyler Eifert.
After testing the open market, tight end Tyler Eifert has made a one-year deal with the Cincinnati Bengals. The contract can max at $8 million with the game incentives. There were rumors of other teams interested in the young tight end like the Oakland Raiders and New England Patriots but they would all be backup positions or primarily red zone threat. Staying in Cincinnati will mean a starting role for Eifert.
He has the potential to be one of the best tight ends in the league, in fact, he is one of them when he can stay healthy. There lies the problem, his inconsistency to be on the field only playing 49% of games since being drafted due to injuries. Eifert only played two games in 2017 due to surgeries on his back and knee.
The inability to play a full season in his five-year career is concerning. Which is why the Bengals are giving him a one year deal to prove that he can stay healthy for the duration of a season before signing him long term. His best season comes in 2015 where he caught 52 passes for 615 yards and 13 touchdowns. The only tight end to have more touchdown passes in a single season is Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski in 2011.
Bengals’ TE Tyler Eifert reached agreement on a one-year deal and is staying in Cincinnati, per league source. Top available TE off the board.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 15, 2018
Tyler Eifert's one-year deal with the #Bengals has a maximum value of $8 million, source said. (@AdamSchefter first on the signing)
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 15, 2018
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If Eifert can stay healthy and help his team to the playoffs, it could mean a major turnaround for an offense that lacked in almost every category just last year. It will provide more threat making it harder for defenses to key in on wide receiver A.J. Green. The biggest question will be if Eifert can make it to week 17 before we can talk playoffs.