Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals are built to compete in 2026, anchored by one of the most explosive passing offenses in the NFL. Ja’Marr Chase led the league in targets last season, hauling in 125 catches for 1,412 yards and 8 touchdowns, while Tee Higgins chipped in 11 scores, giving Burrow a duo most quarterbacks can only dream about. The problem is what comes after them.
Higgins has missed 12 games over the last three seasons due to a variety of lower-body issues and concussions, making depth behind the top two a real concern, not a hypothetical one. Andrei Iosivas is expected to return as the team’s third receiver in 2026, but he fell well short of expectations last season, finishing with 33 catches for 435 yards and two touchdowns despite playing every game.
Bengals WR Depth Behind the Top Two Is a Hidden Weakness
The Bengals’ answers at receiver beyond the starting trio raise questions. Iosivas ranked 116th out of 125 qualifying wide receivers in PFF receiving grades last season, a troubling figure for a player being counted on as a primary backup.
Behind him, the depth is thin. The Bengals used the 140th overall pick in the 2026 draft on Georgia wide receiver Colbie Young, a 6-foot-5, 218-pound big-bodied target projected by some analysts as a Day 3 prospect. Young compiled 116 receptions for 1,437 yards and 13 touchdowns across four college seasons at Miami and Georgia. He has the physical tools, but is a rookie with no NFL experience.
Curtis Samuel, who was released by the Buffalo Bills in March, saving the team $6 million in cap space, remains available in free agency and could be a low-cost veteran option for Cincinnati to add slot depth and insurance. The only other wide receiver on the Bengals’ roster currently signed beyond 2026 is Dohnte Meyers, who has not played a single NFL snap.
The Bengals open the 2026 season with Super Bowl aspirations, but Burrow’s supporting cast at receiver would be stretched thin in a hurry if injury strikes early.
