Bengals' Iosivas tuning out the 'outside noise' after online abuse - ESPN

CINCINNATI — Bengals wide receiver Andrei Iosivas opened up about some of the extreme online abuse he suffered last season.

«I feel like last year I was in my head a little bit,» Iosivas said. «I had those drops in those games and people were telling me to kill myself and all that kind of stuff. I never had that kind of stuff happen to me before.

»So it got in my head a little bit when people — you know, when your DMs [direct messages] are flooded with people telling you to kill yourself."

At first, Iosivas was smiling as he does often during sessions with reporters at his locker. But as he continued to discuss the subject, the demeanor shifted to the point that the 26-year-old became emotional.

«It makes me angry, honestly,» Iosivas said before eventually stepping away for a few moments.

In his first two seasons, Iosivas was productive despite a limited targeted share. He had 10 touchdowns on just 51 total receptions in his first two seasons. That was a byproduct of a strong rapport with quarterback Joe Burrow, particularly when Burrow was scrambling to find an open receiver.

But with Burrow injured, that production dipped in 2025. He went from six receiving touchdowns in 2024 to two, despite having just three fewer receptions than the previous season. Iosivas also had a team-high five drops.

Even though Cincinnati has a very pass-centric offense, opportunities for other wide receivers can be limited. Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, the two Pro Bowl wide receivers who earned a combined $276 million on new contracts ahead of the 2025 season, typically command the bulk of the targets. According to ESPN Research, the duo commanded around 46.3% of the team's total target share.

Iosivas, a former sixth-round pick out of