Bengals Turn to Young Receivers as Iosivas Sidelined Ahead of Steelers Trip
The short version
- Andrei Iosivas tore a thumb ligament and had surgery; he will miss at least four weeks.
- Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins were fined nearly $90,000 combined for six celebrations.
- Rookies Colbie Young and Dohnte Meyers are in line for bigger roles at receiver.
- Pittsburgh cornerbacks Jamel Dean and Joey Porter Jr. have been limited in practice this week.
Cincinnati will lean on unproven pass catchers after Andrei Iosivas had thumb surgery, while Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins were fined nearly $90,000 for celebrations.
The Cincinnati Bengals are preparing for Sunday's road game against the Pittsburgh Steelers with their wide receiver depth under strain. Andrei Iosivas, the team's No. 3 receiver, tore a thumb ligament in last week's game at Houston and had surgery Wednesday. He is expected to miss at least four weeks.
Iosivas had produced modest numbers this season, with three catches for 19 yards on four targets across the first two games. But the Bengals valued his experience, and quarterback Joe Burrow had developed trust in him over the past three seasons. His absence opens the door for rookie Colbie Young and Dohnte Meyers to take on larger roles.
Young recorded the first catch of his career last week at Houston and said he is prepared for a bigger workload. Head coach Zac Taylor said the team has several players across the receiver and tight end rooms who can fill the void. Burrow added that he simply needs receivers who work hard, make plays and win contested 50/50 balls, and he expressed confidence in Young, Meyers and Ke'Shawn Williams.
The receiver group also drew league attention this week when Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins were fined a combined total of nearly $90,000 for six celebrations the NFL classified as offensive gestures over the first two games. Chase said the two were performing a version of The Rock's "People's Elbow" from WWE, and he indicated he would like to appeal. He argued that players should work with the NFLPA to push back on the fines.
Chase performed the celebration after both of his touchdowns last week in Houston, including a catch he made after stumbling and twisting to drag his feet in the front corner of the end zone. Asked where that grab ranks among the great catches of his career, Chase declined to rank it, saying only the touchdown mattered. He said he did not yet know whether he and Higgins would stop doing the celebration, noting the league was "stopping the fun" and wondering if the move could be modified instead.
On the other side of the matchup, Pittsburgh's secondary is dealing with health questions. Cornerback Jamel Dean has been limited in practice by an ankle injury, and Joey Porter Jr. has been limited because of conditioning issues that kept him out of the first two games. Nickel corner Jalen Ramsey is expected to be available. Chase said he studies the whole defensive unit rather than focusing on individual cornerbacks, though he will take note of who he lines up against.
The Bengals visit the Steelers on Sunday, September 27 at 1:00 PM EDT at Acrisure Stadium, with the game airing on CBS.
