Eifert updates rehab progress after back surgery

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert said his back feels great but admitted there will be some limitations for the rest of his career, such as doing squats while working out, due to the surgery he had in December.

“The doctor said don’t,” he said. “I’ve worked through a back (issue) before and you just find ways to get the same benefits from different lifts or different ways to work out. You just have to work around it, which is fine. I’ve done that before.”

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Eifert missed the entire 2016 offseason due to an ankle injury suffered in the Pro Bowl, then just as he was set to return he injured his back in his first practice and missed the first six games. Eifert re-injured the back in December and missed the last two games.

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With his back feeling the way he wants, Eifert said the biggest issue now is trying to get the strength back in his legs, which is more difficult with the inability to due to squats.

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“I’ve still lost a lot of strength with the nerve issues and all of that stuff,” he said. “I’m just working through some of that. Once I get my strength back, I’ll be fine. I’m still working, still getting better. I just want to get 100 percent as soon as I can so I can be ready to go for the season.

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“I started running a couple of weeks ago,” he added. “I’m still doing my rehab and my core stuff. I just started doing some change of direction stuff, so I’m just taking it one step at a time.”

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