Tyler Eifert's season debut for the Bengals will likely be delayed yet another week. Ahead of their game against the Dolphins on Thursday Night Football, the Bengals listed their star tight end as doubtful on their final injury report.

On Tuesday, a day before the injury report was released, Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said that Eifert will be a game-time decision. Don't expect him to beat the odds. As ESPN's Bob Holtzman reported, Eifert isn't expected to play.

Despite his doubtful designation, Eifert appears to be nearing his return to the field after hurting his ankle during the Pro Bowl. He practiced on a limited basis this week and, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Eifert would've had a "real chance" to play had the Bengals' Week 4 game been scheduled for Sunday.

Eifert also said that he responded well to his return to the practice field.

So, expect the Bengals' tight end production to suffer, again. Through three games, C.J. Uzomah leads the team's tight ends with seven catches and 99 yards. Behind him, Tyler Kroft has chipped in with three catches for 35 yards.

Collectively, those are OK numbers, but they're not Eifert-esque. That's not surprising given his status as one of the league's top tight ends. In 13 games last season, Eifert hauled in 52 passes for 615 yards and 13 touchdowns -- the fourth most among all pass catchers.

At 1-2, the Bengals are off to a disappointing start despite their status as contenders in the AFC. Getting Eifert back for back-to-back road games in Weeks 5 and 6 could help them justify that billing.