Report: Bengals Signing Familiar Face to Help Beef up Injured Wide Receiver Room

Insurance in the receiver room.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Mitchell Tinsley (82) catches a pass in the first quarter of the NFL Preseason Week 3 game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Cincinnati Bengals at Lincoln Financial Field in Philladelphia on Friday, Aug. 28, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Bengals filled their open roster spot this week with a familiar face. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Tuesday morning that Mitchell Tinsley is signing to the active roster after spending last year with the team and the opening weeks of this season on the Texans' practice squad.

Tinsley has played in 19 games since entering the league in 2023. The wide receiver has eight catches for 116 yards and two scores in that span. He just barely missed out on making the Bengals final roster this past summer.

"A return: Bengals are signing WR Mitch Tinsley off the Texans' practice squad and onto their active roster. Tinsley was in Cincinnati’s camp this summer, but signed with Houston’s practice squad. And now he is back," Schefter posted on X.

The addition helps re-solidify the Bengals wide receiver hierarchy while Andrei Iosivas recovers from finger surgery over the next month. Add in the injury to Colbie Young this past Sunday, and Cincinnati needed to make a move. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said Young is not expected to play this week due to that ding.

Cincinnati is trying to keep pace in the AFC North, with every team at 2-1 overall following their blown chance to lead the division after losing to Pittsburgh 30-27 on Sunday.

"The end. All three phases had a chance to win that game in the end. Fourth quarter, had a chance to score on oﬀense, had a chance to get a stop on defense. They also had chances to make plays on special teams that they didn't. So, I think all three phases share that one," Taylor said about what his team did on Sunday. "Yeah, these are tough games, and they made more plays than we did today. They earned the win; we did not.

"So, it will be an opportunity next week to see what we're really made of. 2-1, we had good momentum after two games. We lost a tough one on the road. It hurts because you feel like you had every opportunity to win it. We didn't do it. So now we go home and see what we're made of next week."

Tinsley could see snaps as early as this weekend given his familiarity with the Bengals offense.

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