Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Mitchell Tinsley (82) makes a catch during the first half of a preseason NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday, Aug. 28, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Matt Rourke
Joe Burrow called it a “no-brainer” for the Cincinnati Bengals to bring back Mitch Tinsley after injuries to two receivers in the last two weeks.
Tinsley said it was an easy decision for him, too. Now he’s back in Cincinnati preparing to help the Bengals (2-1) face the Jacksonville Jaguars (2-1) on Sunday, Oct. 4, at Paycor Stadium.
With Andrei Iosivas going on injured reserve last week and Colbie Young suffering a knee injury in the Week 3 loss at Pittsburgh, the Bengals needed another option. Depth at wide receiver had caused Tinsley to get waived with final roster cuts, but that was stretched to the limits last week when Young went down on his first snap. Cincinnati made room for an addition by waiving Ke’Shawn Williams.
Tinsley, who was plucked off the Texans practice squad, is ready to slide right back in — almost like he never left.
“I was excited, you know,” Tinsley said. “It’s a place that I had a lot of opportunities last year, and I feel comfortable in the offense. (Coming back) I picked up on the offense pretty quick. Like it’s really nothing’s really changed too much, verbiage-wise. So, you know, feel comfortable and I’m ready to go.”
Two weeks ago, Tinsley was helping the Houston Texans prepare to face his former team. He made the Bengals’ roster out of training camp last year after earning high praise from Burrow and others during preseason, and he played in all 17 games, including four starts.
The 27-year-old had eight catches for 116 yards and two touchdowns in 2025, which marked his first full season playing in the NFL after spending time with the Washington Commanders in 2023 and 2024, mainly on the practice squad.
Despite showing flashes in the Bengals’ offense last year, Tinsley was overshadowed by a deeper receiving corps in training camp this summer.
“I felt like I played pretty good,” Tinsley said of his preseason. “I think also it’s hard, like when I’m running with the 1s and 2s, like if I’m in there with Ja’Marr (Chase) and Tee (Higgins), a lot of times the ball’s going towards them, so it’s kind of hard to make a lot of plays, but for the most part, I think I played well. I think I played well in the preseason when I got my opportunities. But you know, sometimes that’s just how the ball rolls.”
Tinsley said it was weird “being on the other side” two weeks ago with the Texans, but everyone seemed happy to see him when he walked in at 7 a.m. Wednesday morning.
Burrow said Tinsley should be able to ease right back into the mix, but he was willing to stay after practices to get extra reps with Tinsley if needed. The Bengals will have certain packages for Tinsley, and Burrow thinks he can help.
How to watch NFL Week 3: Bengals go on the road to face AFC rival, Browns hold home opener on Sunday
“I thought it was pretty much a no-brainer,” Burrow said. “You know, he played well for us last year and gave us some good reps, made a lot of plays for us in his limited opportunities, and to get a guy like that back that we weren’t sure we were going to is good for the Bengals.”
Bengals coach Zac Taylor said a lot of things should still be fresh for Tinsley, and nothing stood out his first day as being an issue catching him up on what he might have missed the last three weeks.
Ironically, Tinsley’s first career catch came against the very opponent the Bengals are now preparing to face. He had one 13-yard touchdown catch in an eventual win over the Jaguars in Week 2 of last season.
That was a game in which Burrow went down with his turf toe injury, but Chase finished with 14 catches on 16 targets for 165 yards and one touchdown to lead the receivers. Chase said with the team missing Iosivas and now Young, everyone needs to be ready to step up.
“Mitch could do it, Dohnte’s been showing us the past couple games he could step up, especially last game, and whoever else may get bumped up, whoever else may have the opportunity, so you gotta be ready for it when your number is called,” Chase said.
The Jaguars have allowed just 12.0 points per game and bring a secondary that includes 2025 first-round draft pick Travis Hunter, who went No. 2 overall.
Chase had nothing to say about Hunter when asked about his growth from Year 1 to Year 2, but regarding the Jacksonville secondary, Chase said he expects them to look more experienced with another season together. The same can be said for the Bengals, though, he noted, and Cincinnati just needs to focus on getting to 3-1.
“It’s more about us, not about them for us,” Chase said.
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Mitchell Tinsley (82), top, completes a catch in the end zone as cornerback Dax Hill (23) defends during practice at the team’s NFL football training camp, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Kareem Elgazzar)
Kareem Elgazzar