Bengals plan receiver committee with Iosivas headed to injured reserve

Cincinnati is preparing for Sunday's game at Pittsburgh without No. 3 receiver Andrei Iosivas. Coach Zac Taylor said Wednesday that Iosivas is headed to injured reserve after surgery for torn thumb ligaments. Taylor described the recovery in weeks, possibly more than a month, and said the Bengals will distribute the missing work rather than name a single replacement. The club had not announced a completed injured-reserve transaction in the report, so the planned move and an official roster placement remain separate steps.

The immediate receiving options include first-year wideout Dohnte Meyers, rookie Colbie Young and Ke'Shawn Williams, who was inactive for Cincinnati's first two games. Meyers and Young each have one NFL catch. Taylor also pointed to the tight end room as part of the answer. Mike Gesicki caught five passes for 78 yards in the opener but was not targeted in the Week 2 win at Houston. That variation makes a simple one-for-one projection risky.

Iosivas had played in 25 consecutive games before the thumb injury and had missed only one game over four NFL seasons, according to the team. He caught two passes for 12 yards against Houston and has three receptions for 19 yards through two games this season. His recent totals are modest, but his regular role gave the Bengals an experienced third option behind their top receivers. The replacement group has far less game experience.

Quarterback Joe Burrow told the team Wednesday that the offense can use different personnel packages and route assignments to cover the absence. He named Meyers, Young and Williams among the receivers he trusts, while also pointing to Gesicki and other tight ends. Young said he had prepared for the opportunity. Those comments describe the plan, not a settled target share for the Steelers game.

The next concrete decisions are the official roster transaction, the active game-day receivers and how many snaps the Bengals give each option. Cincinnati's Wednesday injury report listed Iosivas as a nonparticipant with the thumb injury. The club has not supplied a precise return date. For fantasy or roster decisions, the injury creates opportunity across several players, but the coaches have expressly framed the replacement as a committee.

The Bengals' official Wednesday press-conference video carries Burrow's comments ahead of the Pittsburgh matchup.