Life in the NFL often comes with pressure on the field, but for wide receiver Andrei Iosivas, some of the hardest moments from the last season followed him long after the games ended.

The Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver spoke openly about what he had experienced during the 2025 season and how it had affected his mental health. While speaking with reporters during the Bengals' offseason activities on Tuesday, Iosivas shared his experience.

The fourth-year receiver explained that some of the messages crossed well beyond normal criticism from fans.

“I had those drops in those games, and people were telling me to k*** ******* and all that kind of stuff,” Iosivas said during Bengals media availability on Tuesday, shared by Sleeper Bengals on X. “I never had that kind of stuff happen to me before, so it got in my head a little bit.”

For the 2023 sixth-round pick, it was the first time he had experienced this kind of reaction publicly, especially while trying to work through mistakes during the season.

Iosivas struggled with consistency at times during the 2025 season, with his drop issues becoming a talking point midway through the year.

The Bengals receiver was credited with three drops against Green Bay in Week 6, while another rough outing against Pittsburgh soon followed. By the end of the regular season, Iosivas finished with a team-high five drops overall.

Mike Petraglia later shared comments from Iosivas while discussing the situation after practice.

The 26-year-old became emotional while expressing how personal some of the messages became and how difficult it was to handle.

“It makes me angry,” Iosivas said during Bengals offseason media sessions on Tuesday, posted by Mike Petraglia on X.

Rather than describing fear or intimidation, Iosivas pointed more towards the frustration over how far the reaction went online.

Iosivas Turning His Attention Toward the 2026 Season

As the offseason workouts continue for the Bengals, Andrei Iosivas appears to be focused on moving forward with a different mindset after the challenge of last season.

Entering the final year of his rookie contract, the receiver said he is trying to avoid letting outside opinion affect his focus heading into 2026.

“Just not letting outside noise get to me and letting circumstances get to me,” Iosivas said during the same media session on Tuesday, according to ESPN coverage. “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.”

Cincinnati has also added another receiver to the room after selecting former University of Georgia wideout Colbie Young during the 2026 NFL Draft with their round 4 pick.

Still, Iosivas explained that competing for opportunities has been part of his NFL experience since arriving in Cincinnati behind established targets like Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

Head Coach Zac Taylor also publicly backed the receiver during offseason workouts.

“I love his mindset, his attitude and the way he works,” Taylor said while speaking with reporters during Bengals offseason activities, according to ESPN Bengals coverage. “We’re all big fans, just looking for him to continue to improve.”

For now, the Bengals receiver appears focused on putting last season behind him and keeping his attention centred on football as the team prepares for 2026.

Read more at the Cincinnati Bengals Community!

Written by

Debanjali Rakshit

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote