Wide receiver Andrei Iosivas took a major step forward during his second season with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2024. He started in eight games for Cincinnati last season and caught 36 passes for 479 yards and six touchdowns. All of those numbers represent significant improvements from his rookie season in which he caught just 15 passes for 116 yards.
Iosivas is again projected to be Cincinnati's No. 3 wide receiver. So, he should receive ample on-field opportunity in 2025, and he'll look to take another step forward during his third season in the league. In order to do that, he identified one specific area of improvement that he's focusing on this offseason: Yards after the catch.
Andrei Iosivas is aiming to improve in the YAC category
The Princeton product averaged just 1.9 yards after the catch per reception last season. That number was down from the 2.3 yards he averaged as a rookie. Iosivas has good hands, but in order to really take that next step forward as a receiver, he needs to become a bigger threat with the ball in his hands.
"My YAC," Iosivas said of what he's working on this offseason. "... It's just about coming back down to the ball. Sometimes, you catch it and you just want to secure it. Say you're running a dig or something, and you're running horizontal. Instead of letting the ball come to you, which is fine, but getting tackled in the NFL is all about angles.
"So if you beat someone to the ball by running back down, like horizontally, then you have more of a chance to break a tackle. Just create more power through the ball."
In order to get better at shedding tackles and extending plays after the catch, Iosivas has bulked up this offseason, adding over 10 pounds of muscle to his 6′ 3″ frame.
"Undeniable. I want to be undeniable," Iosivas said. "I think you can literally put me anywhere on the field, and I'll win anywhere. I like to think I'm one of the more versatile receivers in the league."
Star receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins have overshadowed Iosivas over the past couple of years, and understandably so, as they're arguably the best receiving duo in the league. That will likely continue to be the case. But, after a promising '24 campaign, Iosivas will have an excellent opportunity to continue to make a name for himself in Cincinnati in 2025.