Why Bengals WR Andrei Iosivas Isn’t Putting Himself on the 53-Man Roster Just Yet

Cincinnati Bengals rookie wide receiver Andrei Iosivas said he felt like he belonged as soon as he arrived for his first day of OTAs. But as the last few days before roster cuts arrive, he’s not as sure.

Or maybe he’s just trying to play it cool.

“I’m not sure yet, to be honest,” Iosivas said on the Bengals Radio Network following a 21-19 loss to the Washington Commanders. 

“I’m still playing out there like I’m trying to make the 53,” he added. “We have a lot of receivers, so I’m still not really sure how the numbers work. I’m just hoping for the best and just hoping I’ll be a Bengal.”

Will Andrei Iosivas Be a Bengal as of Tuesday?

Rest assure he will be.

He would have been even before hauling in a leaping 7-yard touchdown pass to cap the team’s first drive of the game.

That ball spin and griddy 😮‍💨 #CINatWAS | 📺 @paramountplus, Local 1 pic.twitter.com/Si51hoCCWX

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) August 26, 2023

Iosivas finished the preseason with team highs in targets (26), receptions (12), and receiving yards (129), proving himself right after his early assessment of where he stood when he arrived for OTAs.

“I knew my athletic prowess, and it was just about getting the skill down,” he said. “And I have confidence in myself to get the skills down. Just facing more press than I faced in the Ivy League, which I have the physical abilities to do. It’s just all learning. Once I got here for OTAs, I was pretty set in who I was.

“I made some good plays, I had some plays where I need to learn from, just from skill errors, technique errors, even just play errors,” he added. “All of it is just learning so I don’t make the same mistake twice. It’s been up and down, but in my mind it’s all up because I know I’m always learning.”

Two of Iosivas’ three catches Saturday night came on the opening drive. The first was a 20-yarder to convert on third-and-3, and the touchdown came when he found himself wide open on second-and-goal.

“It’s nice to get in the end zone to try to help your team win in the preseason, but I just want to get out there on the real Sundays and help my team in that way as well,” he said. “I appreciate this some, but the real ones are still to come.”