If only the Cincinnati Bengals were as good at acquiring depth at every position on their roster as they are when it comes to the wide receiver position.
Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are the obvious headliners. Third-year wideout Andrei Iosivas hasn't slowed down on his development at all. Charlie Jones caught a touchdown pass from Joe Burrow in Monday's preseason game against the Washington Commanders. Jermaine Burton was a third-round pick a year ago who's dinged up now, but he's had a nice training camp.
Fair to say without reservation that Cincinnati is at least five-deep at wide receiver. However, a former undrafted free agent who began his NFL career with the Commanders was the undeniable show-stealer in the Bengals' 31-17 exhibition win.
Mitchell Tinsley torches former Commanders teammates in preseason coming-out party
It's one thing to be tabbed as a team captain for a preseason coin toss. It's another entirely to live up to that billing by emerging as one of the best players on the field among two teams with superstars across their rosters.
Mitchell Tinsley was nothing short of brilliant on Monday night, wowing the football world with five receptions on six targets for 73 yards and two touchdowns. Those two scoring catches were mere seconds apart toward the end of the first half — and both were SportsCenter Top 10-worthy.
BIG MITCHELL IN THE END ZONE#CINvsWAS on @espn pic.twitter.com/BeEHMkguXZ
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) August 19, 2025
MITCHELL TINSLEY HAVE A DAY!!!! #CINvsWAS on @espn pic.twitter.com/Q7g5xFOKlf
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) August 19, 2025
Tinsley's body control, ball skills, and catch radius were on full display on his two dashes to the end zone. All Jake Browning had to do was put it up somewhere in his vicinity, and Tinsley was coming down with it. The man would not be denied.
Perhaps he was playing with something to prove against his former team. Maybe that's why the Bengals made Tinsley an honorary captain for the evening. Whatever the case, it'll be pretty hard to deny Tinsley a spot on the final 53-man roster. Keeping six receivers could complicate how other position groups round out. Then again, Burrow has said it before: Cincinnati can't afford to let good players out of the building.
And guess what? Burrow gave Tinsley a ringing endorsement during a live, in-game interview when asked if the wideout had done enough to lock up a roster spot, as transcribed by The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr:
"Hopefully, he's secured a spot for us. He's a guy you can really count on. You have a guy you can trust like that it's very valuable."
Speaking of not letting good players leave the building, the Bengals should probably follow that advice beyond just keeping Tinsley.
Paying Trey Hendrickson would be a nice start. So would making sure free-agent right guard Dalton Risner doesn't exit the Queen City on Tuesday without signing a contract. Read below for stories on those Bengals subplots and more.