Photo courtesy: Ryan Meyer/Cincinnati Bengals
Dohnte Meyers’ rise to prominence with the Cincinnati Bengals is showing no sign of slowing down.
The former Saskatchewan Roughriders receiver posted another strong preseason performance on Saturday, as the Bengals defeated the Chicago Bears by a score of 27-9. He led his team with five receptions for 41 yards, while adding one run for nine yards.
Meyers was also active in the return game, as the Bengals look for additional ways to get him on the 53-man roster. He returned two kickoffs for 54 yards and two punts for 34.
“He’s done a good job,” head coach Zac Taylor told the media post-game. “The opportunities that come to him, he’s done a good job catching the ball, returning the ball, had some jet sweeps. I think he’s just trying to make the most of his opportunities.”
Meyers established himself as a fan favourite following Cincinnati’s first preseason game, when franchise quarterback Joe Burrow revealed that the receiver dropped everything to drive seven hours overnight from Atlanta to attend a last-minute throwing session. The 26-year-old has also drawn praise from All-Pro receiver Ja’Marr Chase during training camp.
According to veteran backup quarterback Josh Johnson, who made Meyers his top target on Saturday, the excitement within the building has been growing for a long time.
“We’ve been talking about Dohnte really since the spring. Honestly, Dohnte pops off the film. If you’re watching the tape, he’s gonna pop off the tape, and I think now you’re just seeing him put his mind with his ability,” he said. “That’s a great sign for a young player to be able to do that as quickly as he’s doing it. We just want to keep him ascending.”
That’s deceptively high praise coming from a 40-year-old signal caller who has spent time with 12 different NFL teams. Through two preseason games, Meyers has now caught eight passes for 70 yards and rushed twice for 22 yards, while adding 99 return yards — easily the team’s busiest offensive player.
A Division II standout at Delta State, the five-foot-11, 186-pound receiver was almost completely overlooked by the NFL coming out of college and worked as a DoorDash delivery driver before paying $100 to attend an open tryout for the Roughriders.
He made Saskatchewan’s roster as a rookie and appeared in four games, notching 24 receptions for 349 yards and one score. His production exploded in year two, as he caught 65 passes for 1,056 yards and eight touchdowns. Meyers was named a West Division all-star and helped the Riders to win the 112th Grey Cup.
The Bengals will wrap up the preseason on Friday, August 28, when they visit the Philadelphia Eagles. Final cuts have to be made by Sunday, August 30, at 6:00 p.m. EDT.
