Joe Burrow didn’t waste much time praising one of his young receivers this offseason. The Bengals quarterback said Andrei Iosivas has shown up looking bigger, stronger and faster, and that the fourth-year wideout is already making the kind of contested catches the team wants to see more often.
“Andrei looks great this year. Andrei looks unbelievable.
He looks big, strong, fast,” Burrow said via the team’s website. “He made a couple of really nice contested catches in the spring this year in our limited reps.
That’s a big area of emphasis for him. That was exciting to see.
He’s going to continue to improve there, but he looks just like he’s playing with so much confidence, confidence in his role, confidence in the offense, and his ability.”
Cincinnati is also getting a look at fourth-round pick Colbie Young, and Zac Taylor likes the starting point. The Bengals coach said Young arrived with a strong foundation and plenty of willingness to work, but the details of the system are where the real learning begins.
“I’m really pleased with the baseline that he started with when he came in here. Very eager, great personality, willing to do everything it takes,” Taylor said.
“What works against Colby is the years of experience around him. Everybody’s done it all, and so there’s not a lot of mistakes happening around.
Everything’s going to be nuanced on exactly how we want it done. He’s eagerly doing it.
I’m really pleased with the direction he’s headed.”
In Cleveland, Shedeur Sanders made it clear he’s not interested in simply hanging around the league. The Browns quarterback said his aim is much bigger than roster status, and he pointed back to his rookie season - including the Week 17 win over the Steelers - when explaining the mindset behind his celebration after a run that didn’t pick up a first down.
“I’m not content just being on no team,” Sanders said on his YouTube channel. “I’m trying to be one of the greatest.
You’ve got to be thankful, but know there’s still more. There’s still more.
We were playing the Steelers. Their linebackers were hitting that game.
I’m on the pine the whole year. You get out there you’re like, ‘This is something.
I could do something like this.’ To me that’s an accomplishment.
This dude tried to knock my head off… That’s the whole thing I’m celebrating. I know it’s fourth down, but I just evaded this tackle.
I just got away.”
Baltimore’s conversation centered on Zay Flowers, and Lamar Jackson didn’t hold back when asked about the receiver’s value. Jackson said the Ravens “love” Flowers, said they “need” him, and called him one of the league’s best at the position.
“We love Zay. We need Zay,” Jackson said.
“He’s one of the best receivers in the league, and he’s shown that since he stepped on the NFL field back in 2023. I wasn’t even here yet - he was just doing his route-running and making crazy catches.
He was just doing what he’s been doing. His value is out of this world.
That’s what I’d say.”
In Other News...
Why Erick All Could Change Everything For The Bengals Offense
The Bengals are heading into 2026 with unusual continuity on offense, bringing back all 11 starters along with key backups, and that stability makes Erick All one of the more intriguing pieces on the board. The tight end missed last season because of knee injuries, but ESPNs analysts singled him out as a player who could give Cincinnati a different kind of dimension, one rooted in his ability to contribute as both a blocker and a receiver.
For a team that has already shown it can move the ball, the appeal is less about adding flash than about adding balance. Cincinnati plans to bring All along carefully because of his injury history, but if he settles in the way the Bengals hope, he could become a useful answer in the run game and a quietly important part of an offense trying to take another step. [Read more 🡒]
Cincinnati Chili Dogs Are Battling For Queen City Bragging Rights
The Great American Tailgate challenge has moved into Round 2, and Cincinnati chili dogs are still carrying the Queen City flag in a bracket built to celebrate the food traditions of all 32 NFL cities. The USA TODAY and Pro Football Hall of Fame partnership has turned tailgating into a national food fight, and the Bengals entry is now matched up against Eastern Carolina pulled pork as fans keep the regional pride contest rolling.
Supporters can vote daily on the SQWAD platform, with each vote also sending them into a drawing for a $1,000 Pro Football Hall of Fame merchandise gift card. It is the kind of off-field competition Bengals fans can sink their teeth into, especially with Cincinnatis signature dish still alive and looking to keep its run going in a bracket where every round brings a new test. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Secondary Just Earned The Kind Of Respect Fans Wanted
The league keeps tilting toward bigger personnel groupings and more tight ends, which has made safety play matter in a way that goes beyond the usual back-end cleanup work. In that context, the Bengals have a tandem that looks a lot more relevant than it might have a year ago, with Jessie Bates paired alongside Justin Cook after Cook came home to Cincinnati on a three-year deal following his time with the Chiefs.
Cook brings a veteran resume and the kind of versatility teams need when offenses keep forcing safeties into different jobs on the same drive. Bates, meanwhile, has become the kind of steady presence Cincinnati wanted in the middle of the defense, and the bigger question now is how much more the Bengals can get out of that pairing as the rest of the AFC keeps loading up on matchup problems. [Read more 🡒]