The Cincinnati Bengals have spent a preseason where the good vibes have kept rolling, and Dohnte Meyers has been right at the center of it. In a summer that has included a few starter appearances and a string of encouraging storylines, the 26-year-old wideout has emerged as the team’s biggest feel-good name.
Meyers’ road to this point has been anything but ordinary. He went undrafted in 2023 and signed with the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders, but that didn’t become the breakthrough he was chasing. After that, he was delivering DoorDash to make extra money, then paid $100 to try out for the CFL again, where the Bengals eventually noticed him.
Once Cincinnati brought him in, Meyers started on the practice squad and then forced his way into the conversation with a strong training camp. He carried that momentum into the preseason, where he made a real case for himself over three games. Meyers caught eight passes for 92 yards and looked every bit like someone ready for the NFL stage.
That showing was enough to get him on the 53-man roster, and now he has a locker sitting next to Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. The moment hit hard when Bengals wide receivers coach Troy Walters called to tell him he’d made it. Meyers described the reaction to NBC reporter Charlie Clifford this way:
"The best part of it all was just calling my parents afterwards. I just told them the news, and there were a lot of waterworks; everybody started crying, so it was a nice moment. When I found out the news, I was just ecstatic."
His roster spot also came on the heels of a notable move elsewhere in the room: former fourth-round pick Charlie Jones was cut and is now headed to the Giants. Jones spent three seasons in Cincinnati and finished with eight catches for 69 yards. He did carve out a role as a return man, but he never made the leap as a receiver.
That leaves Meyers with a real opening, and a real challenge. He’ll have to fight for snaps behind Andrei Iosivas, who is currently the WR3, while rookie Colbie Young has also made noise in camp and is expected to push Iosivas as well.
Meyers has already cleared the toughest hurdle by making the roster. Now comes the next test: proving he belongs in the receiver rotation. Based on what he’s shown so far, the Bengals have reason to believe he can keep this run going.
In Other News...
Bengals Suddenly Have A Week 1 Concern Fans Didn't Want
Tee Higgins missed Wednesdays practice with a heel contusion, giving the Bengals a little early-season unease as they turn toward Week 1. The expectation inside the building is still that Higgins will be ready for the opener, but any absence involving one of Joe Burrows top targets is enough to get attention this close to the start of the season.
JaMarr Chase also sat out with a hyperextended knee, though he is anticipated to play in the opener as well. Both injuries came during preseason activities, which makes this more of a timing issue than a long-term alarm, but Cincinnati would obviously prefer to get through the final stretch of preparations without any more setbacks for its receiving corps. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals May Have Found A Real Swing Tackle Option Already
The Bengals finished filling out their 16-player practice squad by adding offensive tackle Blake Freeland, cornerback Trikweze Bridges and defensive end Garmon Randolph, but Freeland is the name that stands out for the line. A former BYU standout and 2023 fourth-round pick of the Colts, the 25-year-old arrives with real NFL experience after appearing in 16 games and making nine starts as a rookie.
For Cincinnati, the appeal is obvious at a spot where depth can disappear quickly. Freeland also logged 153 preseason snaps recently, giving the Bengals another look at a player who could fit as a swing tackle if needed, and his addition at least gives the organization a viable option to develop while the rest of the roster settles in. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals May Be Repeating A Risky Contract Mistake Again
A familiar Bengals question is starting to surface again as the team weighs when to get a deal done for one of its key players. An NFL insider raised concerns that Cincinnati could be risking the same kind of contract timing issue it has faced before, with salary cap pressure potentially nudging the club toward a delay instead of moving early. For a team that has spent plenty of time trying to keep its core intact, the decision carries added weight.
The backdrop matters because Cincinnati is also sorting through injury updates and hearing more from players about where the team stands heading into the next stretch. Those little signals can shape how urgently the front office wants to act, especially when the roster outlook and the cap sheet are both in play. The bigger question now is whether the Bengals will treat this as a routine offseason negotiation, or as another one of those moments where waiting too long could make the outcome more complicated. [Read more 🡒]