Bengals' 5 camp questions: When will Eifert, Bernard play?

This is the fourth of a five-part series discussing the five most pressing questions the team must answer during training camp this season. Camp kicks off at the practice fields adjacent Paul Brown Stadium on July 28.

Thursday: Cedric Ogbuehi?
Friday: Who falls out of favor on the defensive line?
Saturday: Will John Ross and Joe Mixon supplant a starter?
Today: When will Tyler Eifert and Giovani Bernard play?
Monday: Who wins the kicking competition?

It seems an annual rite of summer to wonder about the health of Cincinnati Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert, but the 2015 Pro Bowler has said all along he should be ready to participate fully in training camp and all indications are that will be the case when camp opens.

Surprisingly, running back Giovani Bernard looks like he’ll be cleared to participate as well come Friday after rupturing his left anterior cruciate ligament just eight months ago.

That is good news for the offense, as there have been no setbacks in their rehabilitation. But practice isn’t really a concern for these two veterans – the big question is when they’ll be game ready.

There is no reason for them to be rushed into action in the exhibition season, but the third preseason game in Washington on Aug. 27 would seem to be the contest worth targeting. That is when the starters typically get their heaviest workload, and should they be able to be eased into action that day Eifert and Bernard would get about two more weeks off to prepare for the season opener against Baltimore on Sept. 10.

Marvin Lewis likes for players to practice before playing, so getting a good gauge of where they’re at in the ramp up to the second preseason game and then turning them loose in the third week makes sense.