BREAKING: Bengals Activate Tyler Eifert Off of PUP List

Only a few days into training camp, the Bengals give us the news we’ve been hoping for for months: tight end Tyler Eifert is finally fully healthy.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport – a very reliable source for breaking news – Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert has passed his physical. That means he can come off the physically unable to perform list and rejoin camp officially. Although Eifert could have come off the PUP list any time before the season started with no penalty, this is a major step forward.

This move shouldn’t come as a big surprise, since both Eifert and the Bengals have been preaching for weeks that Eifert would be fine. The official line from the team seemed to be that placing Eifert on the PUP list at all was only a precaution and nothing more. While nothing happened in the offseason to suggest Eifert had re-injured himself, the placement of Eifert on the PUP list was still a little concerning. Now, those fears have been alleviated.

Eifert’s health has been a question mark ever since his Pro Bowl season in 2015. After having a spectacular season, he hurt his ankle in the Pro Bowl. That injury lingered into the 2016 season, and Eifert was never really healthy that season. He played only 6 games before missing the rest of the season with a new back injury. In 2017, Eifert re-injured his back and essentially missed the entire season. There was a possibility Eifert could have returned in 2017, but after slipping out of playoff contention, it made no sense for the Bengals to bring him back.

Eifert needs to be healthy this year if he wants to maximize his earnings. After two injury-plagued seasons, the Bengals brought him back on a one-year deal worth up to $8 million, but with several incentives. Eifert’s base pay is only $3 million this year guaranteed. If he can stay on the field and rack up some stats, though, he can earn that extra $5 million. Hopefully, this news is a sign of better, healthier things to come for Eifert in 2018.