With the Cincinnati Bengals undergoing a complete roster overhaul this offseason, spots on the team became harder to come by.
While the team’s expectations have definitely been raised in 2026, as they aim to break a three-year postseason drought, it also means that the Bengals will lose some of the players from past seasons.
Following Sunday’s initial 53-man roster and Monday’s waiver wire and practice squad transactions, one Bengals fan favorite has departed the organization and joined another AFC team with postseason aspirations.
Former Cincinnati Bengals Wide Receiver Joins Houston Texans
Ari Meirov posted on X: “The #Texans are signing former #Bengals WR Mitchell Tinsley to their practice squad, per source.
Tinsley had 8 catches for 116 yards and 2 TDs last season, and drew interest from several teams after Cincinnati moved on due to its deep WR room.”
Regarding the move, Bengals Wire’s Chris Roling wrote: “The Cincinnati Bengals won’t sneak a fan favorite onto the practice squad, after all…
The Bengals possibly hoped to get Tinsley back on their own practice squad after making him part of final cuts over the weekend.
But the emergence of draft pick Colbie Young and the massive breakout for Dohnte Meyers forced the Bengals into some tough choices. Tinsley, 26, had been a solid performer for two preseasons in a row and looked good in important reps in the base offense during the regular season.
Instead, Tinsley moves on to Houston for a shot with the Texans.”
While Tinsley had some impressive moments, especially during previous preseasons, the emergence of Dohnte Meyers this offseason made retaining him difficult. As Meirov mentioned, opportunities are hard to come by for wide receivers in Cincinnati due to the team having Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. After adding Colbie Young in the 2026 NFL Draft, Tinsley faced an uphill battle.
Mitchell Tinsley Joins Texans
Regarding the Bengals moving on from Tinsley, A to Z Sports’ John Sheeran wrote: “Tinsley might be the most talented player Cincinnati ended up cutting…
There aren’t a lot of receivers who can beat Christian Gonzalez in one-on-one coverage and score a touchdown, but that’s exactly what Tinsley did in a regular season game last year. He’s good enough to make an NFL roster somewhere. It just won’t be with the Bengals, simply because Meyers proved to be undeniable.”
Sheeran mentioned that he believed Cincinnati would try to retain Tinsley on its practice squad, but the former Bengals receiver opted to test his luck on the Houston Texans.
Tinsley was one of the stories of training camp last season as he managed to earn a spot on the team’s roster. Additionally, he played in all 17 regular season games for the Bengals last season. He was targeted 24 times, but caught only eight passes last season. Tinsley totaled 116 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Time will tell if Cincinnati’s decision to go with former CFL All-Star Dohnte Meyers over Tinsley was the correct one. Perhaps Meyers would have been claimed by another NFL team had he been waived.
Bengals ‘Fan Favorite’ Joins AFC Contender After Roster Cuts