Nov 9, 2019

  • Ben BabyESPN Staff Author

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    • ESPN Staff Author
    • Previously a higher football game writer for The Dallas Morning News
    • Academy of North Texas graduate

CINCINNATI -- Pain wasn't the only emotion Tyler Eifert felt after he snapped his ankle and was carted off the field in Atlanta on Sept. 30, 2018.

In the moments post-obit an injury that requires warning disclaimers to watch, the Cincinnati Bengals tight end thought his career might be over. While his right human foot was in an air cast, information technology all ran through his mind: Will he ever walk the same way again? Will a squad be willing to sign him to another contract? Could he even play football over again?

"It's your livelihood," Eifert said. "Information technology's your career. When something that traumatic happens, those are the kind of things you call up about along with, my teammates trusted me and the system trusted me to help. And so kind of let them down again, even though there's non much I could have washed."

But equally he started the rehabilitation process for yet another fourth dimension in his career, he was determined to show he could however exist a valuable asset. Hanging up the cleats would have to wait.

After missing 53 games over the by five years considering of injuries, Eifert, 29, is enjoying ane of the healthiest stretches of his career. He has appeared in all viii games with the Bengals and has had at to the lowest degree one reception in all of them, a feat he hasn't accomplished since his rookie year in 2013.

And near of import, Eifert feels good in his 7th NFL flavor.

"For me, information technology feels proficient to be healthy and to be able to go along contributing to the squad," he said. "Patently we're not where we want to be, but only to be able to get into the flow of the season and into that grind, it's been fun."

Getting to this point wasn't easy, particularly later on the latest injury that is ordinarily prefaced with words such as "gruesome" or "horrific." On the second play of the 3rd quarter in Week 4 last flavor, Eifert was being tackled subsequently a 2-one thousand gain when his ankle was caught below the 232-pound frame of Falcons linebacker De'Vondre Campbell.

Information technology was another setback in a career filled with an injury history that reads similar a game of Operation: elbow, shoulder, concussion, back and the broken ankle he suffered last year.

At the time, Eifert was in a contract year for the second sequent season. After the Bengals exercised the option on his rookie contract, he was on a one-year bargain in 2018. Eifert and the Bengals agreed to another one-year contract before the 2019 flavour.

Just equally Eifert started the rehab procedure, he gained confidence in his ability to exist the player he once was. In January, he went to Florida to work with longtime trainer Donnie Icsman to build strength and movement with the talocrural joint. In the leap, he arrived at the facility early to brand sure he wasn't taking whatever steps backward.

When Bengals strength and conditioning passenger vehicle Joey Boese arrived in Cincinnati as part of the staff hired by new passenger vehicle Zac Taylor, Eifert sat in Boese's role for 30 to 45 minutes. Boese gauged where the 2015 Pro Bowler was mentally and physically.

They entered the season with a plan to keep him as fresh and good for you as possible. Later the Calendar week 1 game against Seattle, Eifert has taken a remainder day if the team has a full do at the commencement of the week.

He goes through an all-encompassing "prehab" regimen. He uses the foam rollers, does ankle mobility exercises that focus on moving the joints and and so a quick routine to brand sure his glutes and hips are ready before he steps on the field. That's only to get ready to practice.

Over time, Boese said Eifert's vi-foot-6, 255-pound body started to experience better and the confidence increased. He has been more than than pleased with the way Eifert has attacked and embraced the daily grooming to stay on the field.

"You never question his desire or his want to go back to that Pro Bowl level that he's played at earlier," Boese said. "Y'all see that in his demeanor, his attitude. Y'all see that in the way that he comes in and prepares for practice."

All that work has paid off for Eifert. As the 0-8 Bengals come off their bye week, he has 23 catches for 192 yards and a touchdown. In the Calendar week 8 loss to the Rams in London, he set season highs in catches (six), targets (nine) and receiving yards (74).

The early on success -- and his wellness -- are important data points when considering Eifert'southward time to come. Five days after fellow Bengals tight end C.J. Uzomah was given a three-twelvemonth contract, Eifert received merely a one-year deal worth $4 1000000 in March. The Bengals likewise used a second-round pick to draft erstwhile Washington tight end Drew Sample.

Uzomah said it's been admirable to run into how one of his close friends on the team prepares every calendar week to get his body in playing shape. Eifert wants people to know he's competitive and a fighter.

"He'due south a Pro Bowler for a reason," Uzomah said. "He'south a damn proficient tight end and he wants to testify people that."

Eifert can't do a lot of the things he could when he was younger. A former guard at Bishop Dwenger High in Indiana, Eifert hasn't played a game of total-court basketball in years. Considering of his injury history, he no longer places a barbell on his back during workouts. And Eifert jokes that when he's hurting after his career, doctors will have something figured out to set up any is ailing him.

Eifert, who will again be a gratuitous agent after this season, doesn't want to talk almost what might happen if he suffers another severe injury. Simply his deportment to get set for each day this season are those of someone who wants to maximize nevertheless many games he has left in his body.

"As long as I'm feeling good, I'm going," Eifert said. "Or good plenty. As long as I'thousand feeling expert enough."