The Cincinnati Bengals will be without Tyler Eifert until Week 10 at the earliest, as Geoff Hobson of the team's official website reports the tight end will be placed on injured reserve with a designation to return after suffering a dislocated elbow in Week 1.

Initially, it seemed as if the Bengals were hopeful Eifert's injury wouldn't force him to miss an extended period of time. Those hopes are dashed now.

Look for veteran tight end Jermaine Gresham to take on a bigger role in the Bengals' passing game until Eifert returns.

Eifert, the Bengals' first-round pick last year, caught 39 passes for 445 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie.