The Cincinnati Bengals will return a healthy Joe Burrow at quarterback, but the rest of their offense will look different. While their unit didn’t undergo a complete transformation, there will be new faces in key places. Longtime running back Joe Mixon was traded to the Houston Texans, while veteran slot receiver Tyler Boyd followed former offensive coordinator Brian Callahan to Tennessee.
It puts the pressure on up-and-coming talent and recent draft picks to fill those roles. Based on spring practices, the coaching staff is especially confident in WR Andrei Iosivas and RB Chase Brown. In a June article from The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr., personal coach and trainer Drew Lieberman has been blown away by the pair’s progress.
“I would say Andrei and Chase made the fastest improvement of any players I’ve ever had in the program of 15 years doing this. This is Year 7 at the NFL level,” Lieberman said. “I’ve never had two players improve faster.”
Brown was the Bengals’ fifth-round pick in 2023. A hamstring injury stunted his progress for the first half of his rookie season, but he returned in Week 12 for the Steelers game. He gained an offensive role the following week and shined, carrying the ball nine times for 61 yards in a shootout win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. His 4.43 was on display the rest of the year, and he was active as a rotational runner and made plays in the passing game. In Week 14 against the Indianapolis Colts, he took a screen pass 54 yards to the house to open up the day’s scoring.
His rookie year ended with 44 rushes, Brown averaging 4.1 yards per carry. He caught 14 passes, his 156 yards through the air nearly equaling his total on the ground. Brown also proved an effective special teamer, ending the year with five tackles.
Iosivas was taken one round later than Brown in the 2023 draft. Behind Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Boyd, playing time was sporadic. Like Brown, his workload increased late in the season, logging 46 snaps in Week 16 against the Steelers, catching four passes for 36 yards, and another 59 in the season finale. He made the most of his chances with four touchdowns on just 15 catches, including a pair of scores against the Cleveland Browns in Week 18. His first career score was impressive, Iosivas weaving and working his way open against the Houston Texans early in the year.
A Hawaii native who attended Princeton, Iosivas brings size and smarts. Our scouting report called him a “classic Z-type receiver” and compared him to Nico Collins.
Praise to both of them isn’t just coming from personal coaches. Teammates are noticing the difference. Head coach Zac Taylor said Brown’s ability out of the backfield is “noticeable,” while WR Kwamie Lassiter II commented that Brown’s routes “look like a receiver. For real.”
With Boyd departed, Iosivas will compete to be the No. 3 receiver. He’ll have competition, primarily from 2024 third-round pick Jermaine Burton, but Iosivas will have a leg up with the experience of his rookie season. With Mixon gone, Brown should be part of a committee backfield approach alongside free agent addition Zack Moss. So long as Burrow remains the straw who stirs the drink, the Bengals should be squarely in the playoff mix.
