Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Andrei Iosivas has spoken out about his experiences with online bullying and harassment.
Iosivas had a promising start to his NFL career in 2023, and in 2024, he excelled by scoring six touchdowns from 51 receptions. However, his performance dipped in 2025, managing only two touchdowns and leading the team with five dropped passes, a situation compounded by an injury to quarterback Joe Burrow.
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Iosivas faced significant criticism and negative comments from fans, as he shared during a press conference after practice on Tuesday:
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“I feel like last year I was in my head a little bit. … People were telling me to kill myself and all that kind of stuff. I never had that kind of stuff happen to me before. … It makes me angry, honestly.”
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The offseason brings more uncertainty as the Bengals have opened the WR3 position for competition after drafting Colbie Young in the fourth round. For Iosivas, this battle is familiar, having faced similar challenges with Jermaine Burton two years ago:
“I feel like I’ve been fighting for that spot for three years, so I don’t really care. I don’t like feel hurt by any of that kind of stuff. Just not letting outside noise get to me and letting circumstances get to me. I know I’m a great player so [I’m] not letting people’s opinions or things in the building kind of just irritate me.”
Despite the challenges, Iosivas found excitement in the recent acquisition of Dexter Lawrence. He recounted:
“I was checking with my boys and I yelled, ‘Holy s—t! We just signed Dexter Lawrence. I think I blacked out that night.”
Bengals HC Zac Taylor praises Andrei Iosivas
Although Andrei Iosivas’ position as WR3 is contested by Colbie Young, head coach Zac Taylor remains optimistic about his potential. Taylor shared his thoughts with reporters on Tuesday:
“I still look at him as if he’s a veteran in some ways, but he’s still young. He’s going into his fourth year now, and he continues to grow with the guys outside of him. I love his mindset, his attitude, and the way he works. We’re all big fans, just looking for him to continue to improve.”
The Bengals’ OTAs are set to commence at the beginning of next month.
Edited by Andre Castillo
