Tyler Eifert has a lot of experience rehabbing from injuries over the course of an offseason, but he’s in different waters this time around.
Eifert played all 16 games for the Bengals last year, which marked the first time that he’s made it through an entire season unscathed and leaves him as the lone Jaguars tight end coming off a healthy season. Eifert signed with the Jaguars in March and their other top tight ends are James O’Shaughnessy, who missed 11 games after tearing his ACL, and Josh Oliver, who missed 12 games during his rookie season.
Tight ends coach Ron Middleton said recently that Eifert “wants to get back to that potential” he showed early in his time with Cincinnati and sees the entire group as one needing to prove itself this year.
“They’ve got a lot to prove -- from the oldest to the youngest,” Middleton said, via the team’s website. “If we can stay healthy, I think we’re going to be productive.”
That would help Gardner Minshew as he heads into his first year as the established starter, but, as Middleton points out, they have to show they can do it first.