Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert reached agreement on a one-year deal and is staying in Cincinnati, a league source told ESPN's Adam Schefter. That takes the top available tight end off the board.
Eifert, 27, has shown the ability to be a top-tier tight end and a red zone threat when healthy. He made the Pro Bowl in 2015 after playing in 13 games for the Bengals and catching 52 passes for 615 yards and 13 touchdowns.
However, Eifert has had a hard time staying on the field during his NFL career, particularly during the past two seasons.
Eifert injured his ankle in the 2015 Pro Bowl and spent the entire offseason rehabbing. A back injury pushed back his 2016 debut, and he played in only eight games that year. Eifert has had season-ending back surgery in consecutive seasons.
He has played in only 39 of 80 possible regular-season games for the first five years of his career. That complicated his future options as an unrestricted free agent.
The Bengals wanted Eifert back, and he has shown a fondness for Cincinnati, doing all his rehab there and often hanging out on the sidelines of games or in the locker room despite being on injured reserve.
ESPN's Katherine Terrell contributed to this report.
