Andrei Iosivas talks new approach after receiving disgusting social media DMs

TL;DR

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Andrei Iosivas revealed he received disturbing DMs last year, including threats to his life, which affected his mental state. He is now focusing on blocking out negativity and concentrating on his performance this season.

Key points

Andrei Iosivas received threatening DMs last year.
The messages included people telling him to kill himself.
Iosivas is focusing on blocking out negativity this season.

Cincinnati BengalsAndrei Iosivas

CINCINNATI, OH - OCTOBER 26: Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Andrei Iosivas (80) jogs off the field during the game against the New York Jets and the Cincinnati Bengals on October 26, 2025, at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, OH. (Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Some fans lack the emotional maturity to recognize that, in the end, football is a game, and any shortcomings on the field say nothing about a player’s character. Unfortunately, fourth-year Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Andrei Iosivas had to experience the worst of those fans. In a locker-room interview this week, Iosivas opened up about what he went through last year. “I feel like last year I was in my head a little bit,” he began. When asked to elaborate, Iosivas said, “Just because the situations were weird. I had those drops in those games, and people were telling me to kill myself and all that kind of stuff. I never had that kind of stuff happen to me before, so it got in my head a little bit when your DMs are flooded with people telling you to kill yourself.” A reporter, shocked, asked if that actually happened. “Yeah,” Iosivas said. “It makes me angry, honestly.” When asked about how he’s approaching this season, Iosivas said he’s working to block out the noise and focus on what he can control. “Just not letting outside noise get to me and letting circumstances get to me,” Iosivas said. “I know I’m a great player, so not letting people’s opinions or things in the building kind of just irritate me.” It is sad that a young man had to experience such hateful messages. Hopefully, he won’t have to experience such cruelty this year.

Q&A

What kind of messages did Andrei Iosivas receive on social media?

Andrei Iosivas received disturbing messages, including threats to his life, after experiencing performance issues during games.

How did Andrei Iosivas cope with the negative social media feedback?

Iosivas is now focusing on blocking out external negativity and concentrating on what he can control in his game.

What has Andrei Iosivas said about his mental health after receiving hateful messages?

Iosivas expressed that the hateful messages affected him significantly, but he is determined to not let outside opinions impact his performance this season.