Mitch Tinsley, an undrafted rookie from 2023, has taken his time but is now proving he belongs in the NFL. He made his statement loud and clear against the very team that signed him as an undrafted free agent.
Monday night was all his as the Cincinnati Bengals faced the Washington Commanders.
In the Bengals' 31-17 preseason win, he put together a performance that could secure his place on the roster. He had received praise for his work ethic during training camp. Yesterday, he backed it up by hauling in two spectacular touchdown catches.
On Tuesday morning, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic wrote that Tinsley is "making this team." The analyst noted, "This declaration is about all Tinsley did to set up the opportunity to make those plays against his former team on Monday night."
After the game, Bengals coach Zac Taylor summed up his performance succinctly: "Baller."
Tinsley caught both TD passes from Jacob Browning. Now, his focus will be on earning the chance to catch passes from Joe Burrow. That opportunity hinges on making the final roster.
Anyway, Burrow has already expressed his approval and is impressed with Tinsley's performance.
"That guy has been making plays all camp," Burrow told ESPN. "Hopefully, he's secured a spot for us. ... He's a smart guy, knows all the positions. When you have a guy you can trust like that, it's very valuable."
Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are set to dominate the Bengals' wide receiver room. However, that doesn't mean Mitch Tinsley won't have a role. He's bound to contribute if he earns a spot on the final roster.