Tyler Eifert’s absence means a Bengals introduction to Tyler Kroft

9:14 AM ET

CINCINNATI — Four road games, a night game and meetings with three 2015 AFC playoff teams. The Cincinnati Bengals face all of that within the first six weeks of the season, making it among the toughest stretches of the year.

And it’s just gotten a whole lot tougher.

With news early Tuesday morning from Adam Schefter that tight end Tyler Eifert could miss the first couple of games this season after undergoing ankle surgery Wednesday, an already young, transitioning offense faces a stiffer challenge at the start of the year. The Bengals already had to replace two of their top pass-catchers from 2015. Now they must also figure out who will replace their most prolific pass-catching scorer early. Eifert had a team-high 13 touchdown receptions last season.

Tyler Kroft’s production in the passing game ramped up toward the end of his rookie season. Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports

While some of that burden will shift to Pro Bowler A.J. Green and running backs Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard, some of it will settle upon second-year standout Tyler Kroft, …

continue reading in source espn.go.com