No Snags: Tyler Eifert Officially Signs Contract With Jaguars
While Tyler Eifert's former Cincinnati Bengals teammate Darqueze Dennard had his deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars fall through before he could put pen to paper, the veteran tight end won't fall into the same category.
Instead, Eifert officially signed his two-year contract with the Jaguars on Monday, the team announced. The contract is worth a maximum of $15.5 million, and the eighth-year tight end will be expected to step in right away and contribute to a young Jaguars' offense.
“Tyler is a proven contributor in this league, and we’re excited to add him to our team,” Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone said in a statement when the team first announced he had agreed to terms on March 25.
“He has shown the ability to be a playmaker in the passing game, especially in the red zone, while also adding immense value as a blocker in the run game. I expect him to make us more efficient and productive on the offensive side of the ball, and after speaking with Tyler, I know he’s eager for this opportunity," Marrone said.
Eifert has played in 59 games with 37 starts during his seven seasons in Cincinnati, where he was originally drafted in the first round (No. 21 overall) in 2013. His career stats include 185 receptions for 2,152 yards and 24 TDs.
In 2019, Eifert played 16-games for the first time in his career, doing his part to shed the injury-prone label that has followed him throughout his career. Last season, he caught 43 receptions for 436 yards and three touchdowns.
Eifert will join Josh Oliver, James O'Shaughnessy, and Charles Jones as the current active tight ends on the Jaguars' roster.
By signing with Jacksonville, Eifert has reunited with his first-ever NFL offensive coordinator in Jay Gruden, who was hired to be the Jaguars' offensive coordinator earlier this offseason. Gruden was the Bengals' offensive coordinator in Eifert's rookie season in 2013 and Gruden's one year with Eifert, the tight end recorded 39 receptions for 445 yards and two touchdowns.
In an appearance on Jaguars Happy Hour last week, Marrone spoke more about what he thinks his newest veteran tight end will provide to the roster. Eifert is instantly the most established and experienced tight end on the roster, and it is clearly the hope that he can use that veteran savvy to contributed in 2020.
"He's a veteran player who has done a very good job," Marrone said of Eifert. "He can stretch the field vertically. He can make the tough catches. He has that vet savvy to him where he can use his body and his hands to get himself open.
"He's a really good route-runner with a good route tree and that's obviously going to help us."
