Bengals' Tyler Eifert: Set to have ankle surgery

Eifert will soon have a minor procedure on his ankle, with a three-month recovery anticipated, the Cincinnati Inquirer reports.

Analysis:

Although the surgery isn't considered overly serious, Eifert will presumably miss most or all of training camp, with his Week 1 status now in serious question. He suffered the injury at the Pro Bowl on Jan. 31, but the Bengals initially believed it would heal with rest. Tyler Kroft is the leading candidate to take Eifert's first-team snaps during camp, with Ryan Hewitt and C.J. Uzomah possibly also in the mix. Coming off a 2015 receiving line of 52-615-13 in 13 games, Eifert may still be able to improve on last season's total of 72 targets, as the Bengals lost both Mohamed Sanu and Marvin Jones during the offseason. If Eifert isn't ready by Week 1, the Cincinnati receiving corps will look quite thin behind A.J. Green, which could be good news for Brandon LaFell and/or rookie Tyler Boyd.