Retaining Tyler Eifert might’ve just gotten more difficult for the Cincinnati Bengals.
Reports say the Los Angeles Chargers have placed the franchise tag on tight end Hunter Henry, meaning the front office there will likely pay up around $11 million to keep one of the game’s best playmakers at the position.
The Bengals don’t have the wiggle room (and perhaps the desire) to use the franchise tag on Eifert, not with A.J. Green likely needing it.
What this does do, though, is potentially make it harder for the Bengals to woo Eifert if he’s getting big offers on the open market.
Eifert, after all, just played a full 16 games. We know he only did this on 45 percent of the snaps and wasn’t a big part of the offense, but opposing teams will see it is the first time he’s played in more than eight games since 2015 and there could be more upside to unlock if he’s more heavily involved.
Granted, this is a possibility the Bengals were probably preparing for after drafting Drew Sample in the second round last year and giving C.J. Uzomah a three-year extension in March of 2019.
This isn’t a final nail in the coffin of the idea Eifert can return. But the market might be in a position to give him more than he’d get with the Bengals.
