Cincinnati Bengals tight end Tyler Kroft is nursing a broken bone in his foot that could require season-ending surgery, ESPN reported on Sunday.
Kroft was ruled inactive for Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers and likely will miss next week's contest versus the Kansas City Chiefs. He will meet with a specialist within that period to determine whether he can play through the injury or if surgery is needed, ESPN reported.
The 25-year-old Kroft has four receptions for 36 yards in five games this season. He had 42 catches for 404 yards and seven touchdowns in 2017.
Cincinnati will turn to former fifth-round draft pick C.J. Uzomah in place of Kroft.
The tight end position has been a tough one for the Bengals (4-1), who saw Tyler Eifert sustain a season-ending broken ankle in Week 4 against the Atlanta Falcons.
Eifert was taken off the field on a cart after his right ankle twisted in an awkward way when he was dragged to the ground by Falcons linebacker De'Vondre Campbell.
An air cast was placed on his lower leg, and Eifert was carted off the field with tears in his eyes.
Eifert has missed 41 games out of a possible 80 in his first five years. He played in just one game in 2014 and only two games in 2017. When he is healthy, Eifert is a reliable scoring threat having caught 21 touchdowns, including a career-high 13 during his 2015 Pro Bowl season.
A first-round pick out of Notre Dame in the 2013 NFL Draft, Eifert has 142 receptions in 43 games.
