Bengals Player Profile: Mitchell Tinsley goes from challenger to challenged in Cincinnati’s wide receiver corps
The Cincinnati Bengals watched Mitchell Tinsley evolve from a camp body to their first first wideout off the bench. It may be too much to call Tinsley a lock this year, but he’s going to be defending his spot instead of having to take it from someone else.
We’re 54 days away from the Cincinnati Bengals’ preseason finale against the Philadelphia Eagles. The countdown of profiling every member of the Bengals’ 90-man roster up until the conclusion of the preseason continues. Check out previous player profiles here.
Up next in the series is one of the best stories from last season.
Mitchell Tinsley Player Profile
Age: 26
Year: 3rd
Position: Wide receiver
College: Penn State
Jersey Number: 82
Mitchell Tinsley was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Washington Commanders following the 2023 NFL Draft. Prior to the NFL, Tinsley played five years of college football, finishing with one year at Penn State (2022) after two years at Hutchinson Community College (2018-19) and two seasons at Western Kentucky (2020-21).
Tinsley made Washington’s roster as a rookie and played in two games as a rookie. He missed the cut in 2024 and stayed on the practice squad for the entire season. The Bengals signed him to a futures deal in the 2025 offseason after the Commanders didn’t retain him. He slowly worked his way up the depth chart throughout the offseason and shined during training camp and his second preseason game, catching two touchdowns on just five receptions. He made the roster and caught his first pass and touchdown in Week 2. Cincinnati played him in all 17 games and started him four times when Ja’Marr Chase was suspended and Tee Higgins was injured.
Contract details
Tinsley signed a one-year, $1,075,000 contract extension at the beginning of the offseason. His base salary, cash figure, and salary cap hit for 2026 is $1,075,000.
Roster outlook
The Bengals watched Tinsley evolve from a camp body to their first first wideout off the bench. He earned his roster spot by proving himself undeniable.
It may be too much to call Tinsley a lock this year, but he’s going to be defending his spot instead of having to take it from someone else. Colbie Young is the only new face of the group locked in for a spot. The battle in the room may be between those two for reps behind the startersm with Charlie Jones rounding out the group as the lead kickoff returner.
Roster odds: 85%