The Bengals spent the summer trying to keep Dohnte Meyers tucked away as a camp curiosity. That stopped once preseason games arrived. He forced his way onto the 53-man roster, and now Week 1 is close enough that the conversation has shifted from whether he belongs to how much Cincinnati is about to use him.
Offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher didn’t exactly crown Meyers, but he did leave the door wide open when asked about the team’s No. 3 receiver spot. NBC 5’s Charlie Clifford relayed Pitcher’s comment on the role Andrei Iosivas currently occupies:
"We have a multitude of guys that will factor into that 'quote unquote' third receiving role. Dre (Iosivas) certainly being one of them. We'll see how it all plays out, but we feel good about our skill guys."
That’s the kind of answer that tells you the Bengals see this as a rotating assignment, not a locked-in job. Meyers fits right into that picture. He looks like the cleanest pure slot option on the roster, and that matters when the offense is sorting out how to distribute snaps behind Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
Iosivas still has a path, but there are complications. Mike Gesicki effectively functions as a slot receiver, which already trims the available space.
Iosivas also seems better built for work on the perimeter, where the opportunities are tougher to grab with Chase and Higgins commanding the boundary. Then there’s rookie fourth-round pick Colbie Young, a 6'5" burner with some pretty sick ball skills.
Add in Iosivas’ recent issues in contested-catch situations, and the picture gets crowded fast.
Meyers has been making the most of every opening. He’s been steady in camp, he’s shown up in the preseason, and he has the kind of hands that make quarterbacks keep coming back.
Among the receivers in this mix not named Chase or Higgins, he also looks like the sharpest route-runner. Pitcher’s remarks make the preseason buzz feel real rather than accidental.
And Meyers’ value doesn’t stop with the passing game. His roster spot helped push incumbent return man Charlie Jones off the team.
Jones had three return touchdowns in three seasons, but never carved out a real offensive role. Meyers, by contrast, earned the nod because he looked better as a receiver.
The Bengals are already listing him as the No. 2 kickoff returner behind fellow receiver Ke’Shawn Williams and as the No. 1 punt returner on the Week 1 depth chart. So even if Iosivas ends up ahead of him in the receiver rotation, or if Cincinnati leans on more of a pseudo-12 personnel look with Gesicki working from the slot, Meyers should still have a chance to make his presence felt.
The buildup has been hard to miss. Pitcher’s comments were understated, but they were also the clearest sign yet that the Dohnte Meyers show is about to get going.
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