Bengals exercise Eifert's 5th-year option

The Cincinnati Bengals announced Wednesday that the team exercised its fifth-year option on tight end Tyler Eifert's contract.

Following the 25-year-old's breakout season, it was only ever a matter of time before the Bengals made the move official.

Eifert will now be under contract through the 2017 season, and a discussion for a long-term extension will almost certainly be held well in advance of his first opportunity to hit free agency thereafter.

"We had very high expectations for Tyler when we drafted him, and he has met them all," head coach Marvin Lewis said in the team's release. "He's a hugely important part of our team as we go forward."

Eifert's incredibly productive 2015 campaign, in which he racked up an impressive 52 receptions for 615 yards and 13 touchdowns, came despite missing three games due to injuries suffered down the stretch.

He'll enter training camp as the No. 2 option in Cincinnati's high-powered passing attack, again providing Andy Dalton with strong middle-of-the-field target to best complement to A.J. Green's ability on the outside.