The Cincinnati Bengals get plenty of press surrounding their wide receiver room. With a bona fide superstar in Ja’Marr Chase and a WR1 talent like Tee Higgins playing opposite Chase, the Bengals boast a duo most teams in the league almost certainly envy.
For years, Tyler Boyd was the third receiver in the rotation during the beginning of the Joe Burrow era. Since he’s moved on, Andrei Iosivas has been given the bulk of the opportunity to hold down the role of third wide receiver. After being a track
star at Princeton, he has seen his fair share of snaps in the Bengals’ offense.
While he hasn’t reached the level that Boyd was, reports from early on in training camp say that Iosivas looks even faster as he heads into a contract year.
“He’s playing with confidence, and he’s playing fast. He looks really fast,” offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher told Bengals.com’s Geoff Hobson. “He’s been fast, but he’s playing really fast. Taking advantage of the opportunities that come his way. Even on plays he hasn’t been targeted, he’s had some really good releases where he separated from bump man.”
For all the attention Higgins and Chase command, a breakout season from Iosivas, paired with a healthy Mike Gesicki, could make this potent offense even more dangerous.
Iosivas did have five drops last season, with some of them coming in crucial moments, so he will need to clean that up. Rookie wide receiver Colbie Young has impressed as well, and if drops are an issue for Iosivas again, Young could challenge him for snaps.
Iosivas seems to have a good mindset going in to what could be his last year in Cincinnati.
“I just want to play and have fun. That’s my biggest thing,” Iosivas said. “Just out there having fun, not caring about anything. Just going.”
It is too early to predict what the future holds for him in Cincinnati, but Iosivas will be eager to have a strong season so he can cash in during free agency in 2027.
