Bengals starter is doing everything in his power to make the most out of a role he can't quite elevate beyond in Cincinnati
Lost in the aftermath of Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins' new contracts is Andrei Iosivas' ceiling being capped in the Cincinnati Bengals' offense. Any chance he had of elevating himself in a future without either Chase or Higgins alongside him has withered away.Cincinnati didn't want that future to exist in the first place, but for […]
Lost in the aftermath of Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins' new contracts is Andrei Iosivas' ceiling being capped in the Cincinnati Bengals' offense. Any chance he had of elevating himself in a future without either Chase or Higgins alongside him has withered away.
Cincinnati didn't want that future to exist in the first place, but for Iosivas, he's locked in for the same wide receiver No. 3 job he's earned over the last two years.
And he has every intention on making year three even better.
According to Bengals.com's Geoff Hobson, Iosivas, who's listed at 210 pounds on the team website, is up to 220 pounds this offseason as part of his plan to add muscle to his 6-3 frame.
"Undeniable. I want to be undeniable," Iosivas told Hobson. "I think you can literally put me anywhere on the field, and I'll win anywhere. I like to think I'm one of the more versatile receivers in the league."
Iosivas had to prove his versatility last year. When the team allowed Tyler Boyd to leave in free agency, someone had to fill the void he left in the slot. Jermaine Burton clearly wasn't ready to take on that challenge, which left Iosivas and Charlie Jones as the best options. Jones was drafted two rounds ahead of Iosivas back in 2023 and figured to be next in line for the role, but Iosivas, who rarely played inside in college, ran with it during the spring and summer and never gave it up in the fall.
Adding at least 10 pounds to his listed weight may make his job security even stronger since it should help amplify a skill that's under appreciated in his role: blocking.
52.4% of Iosivas' snaps came from the slot last season, and 30.4% of his snaps were blocking in the run game. Getting after it when he's not running routes is critical for him in this role, and getting stronger and more imposing for slot defenders is indeed an advantage.
So long as Iosivas doesn't lose any long speed to his game, added strength should also work in his favor in his route running against physical cornerbacks. Running through contact and hand-fighting will keep him open even when he doesn't have full separation. Per Next Gen Stats, Iosivas averaged 2.8 yards of separation at the catch-point last year, ranking T-85th among qualifying wideouts and tight ends. He was T-122nd in average yards of cushion at the snap at 5.0 yards.
Iosivas has to win getting dirty while the stars shine on the outside. He may never be one of the top two receivers in this offense outside of injury, but he's taking his own role extremely seriously.
And that's great news for everyone in Cincinnati.
