CINCINNATI -- Bengals TE Tyler Eifert underwent season-ending back surgery Thursday, the team announced.
Eifert will have finished three of his five NFL seasons on injured reserve. The Bengals reported his latest back problem is likely not related to the one that required surgery after last season.
ESPN's Adam Schefter first reported the news on Twitter Wednesday night. Eifert will become a free agent in the winter, Schefter reported, citing an unnamed source.
Eifert was a first-round draft pick in 2013 and is currently in the final season of his contract with the Bengals.
He has been sidelined by injuries for much of his career, playing in just two games this season.