Throughout the summer leading up to the regular season, we will go through the entire 2024 Cincinnati Bengals roster. Every single day until the season opener against the New England Patriots , we will break down a player on the roster including his background, contract status, and path towards making the team.
Today, we give the spotlight to wide receiver Andrei Iosivas, or "Yoshi" to some. His rookie campaign last year was a welcomed surprise, and because of that, the bar has been raised entering 2024. It's why he's one of Cincinnati's prime breakout candidates for this highly-anticipated season.
Andrei Iosivas
- Age: 24
- Year: 2nd
- Position: Wide receiver
- College: Princeton
- Previous Teams: None
- Jersey Number: 80
Iosivas was drafted by the Bengals with the 206th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, becoming the first Ivy Leaguer to be drafted by the Bengals in nearly 50 years. He played three years at Princeton after spending his freshman year practicing and playing on the J.V. squad. He appeared in 29 games (20 starts) and ended up with 125 receptions for 1,909 yards and 16 touchdowns, the latter ranks third in program history. He earned team captain status prior to the 2022 season and ended up leading the Ivy League's leading receiver with 66 receptions for 943 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.
On top of football, Iosivas was also a track star for the Tigers. He was a three-time Ivy League champion in the heptathlon and earned All-America status in the event at the 2022 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships.
Making the jump from Ivy League to the NFL gave Iosivas the "project" label leading into his rookie season last year, but he would do his best to shed that perception. He emerged from an impressive training camp and preseason as one of the top five receivers on the depth chart, seeing more playing time during the weeks Tee Higgins missed or was injured during. He ended up seeing at least one target a game in six consecutive games played from Week 5-12 (he didn't play play Week 11). He caught two of those targets for touchdowns, and ended up doubling that touchdown total by the end of the season. He finished 2023 with 15 receptions for 116 yards and four touchdowns.
It's not common at all for receivers drafted as late as Iosivas to find the end zone that many times as a rookie. He was the fifth this century to haul in four or more touchdowns as a first-year player drafted in the sixth round or later. It was a very promising year for him, but there's much more he can accomplish in Cincinnati.
Contract details
Iosivas signed a four-year, $3,999,392 deal with the Bengals last year in April that will pay him the minimum salary for a player with his level of experience for the 2024 season.
His salary will cost $915,00 for the entire season if he's kept on the team for the entire regular season, but with a $159,392 signing bonus prorated throughout the deal, his cap hit for this season will be $954,848.
Roster chances
Making the roster was a good goal for Iosivas last offseason. This time around it's about how much more involved can he be in the offense.
The departure of Tyler Boyd means there are targets up for grabs. New arrivals Mike Gesicki and Jermaine Burton will get their fair share, but it'd be a disappointment for Iosivas to not exceed the 25 targets he saw come his way last year.
Training camp should be exciting for Iosivas. He's fresh off impressing at OTAs and minicamp and training with Drew Lieberman alongside teammate Chase Brown. Lieberman was not short on praising how much the two improved . Now it's time to see how much growth he's made.
Chances of making the roster: 100%
Previous player breakdowns
Related: Bengals Roster Breakdown: Shedrick Jackson is the dark horse receiver to watch for in Cincinnati
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