Cincinnati Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert is optimistic that he will be fully fit for the start of his club's training camp in July.
The 25-year-old dislocated his elbow in the first match of the 2014 season and was ruled out for the rest of the campaign, while he was also forced to undergo an operation to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder.
However, Eifert is upbeat that he will be able to return to the field shortly following months of rehabilitation.
"It's just hard when you're starting over physically," Eifert told reporters. "I lost a lot of weight, a lot of muscle. I couldn't really do anything there for three or four months.
"So just getting that back, getting back in the groove of lifting and getting strong, that's probably been the hardest part.
"As far as the plays and being in here with the guys, it feels like I never missed a beat. Being out here on the field today, it's kind of like riding a bike. Once you get back out there its all the same."
The Bengals selected tight ends Tyler Kroft and CJ Uzomah in the 2015 Draft to provide competition for Eifert.
Simon Sinclair
