CINCINNATI -- As a former first-round pick who struggled to stay on the field, Tyler Eifert endured the wrath of frustrated Cincinnati Bengals fans his first two years.
Shoulder, neck and knee issues affected some of his play-making ability as a rookie late in the 2013 season. With him appearing in every game but the regular-season finale and the wild-card round playoff loss, the nagging injuries started earning him a dubious label: injury prone.
When Eifert became seriously hurt last season, dislocating his right elbow in the season opener, the complaints about what many considered his brittle body amplified.