How a little-known Bengals receiver's midnight drive this summer opened Joe Burrow's eyes

Cincinnati Bengals WR Dohnte Meyers has waited years for his first real NFL opportunity. So when Joe Burrow called to see if he could catch some passes with the other receivers the week before training camp, Meyers was all in.

The only problem? Meyers was in Atlanta. Burrow and the gang were in Cincinnati. And the workouts were the next morning.

After Thursday’s 16-14 Bengals win, Burrow told the story of how Meyers – who has been a camp standout – made it work and made the workouts in time.

“I texted him, and I was like, ‘Hey, are you in town?’ and he said, ‘I can be,'” Burrow said. “I was like, ‘Can you be here at 11 (a.m.)?’ and he’s like, ‘Yeah.’ Come to find out he drove that night from Atlanta to be there the next day.

“That’s the kind of guy he is.”

That’s approximately 460 miles – about a seven-hour drive. That told Burrow plenty about the little-known receiver.

Meyers has only backed that up with a strong training-camp showing, and it carried over into Thursday’s game. He caught three passes for a team-high 29 yards against the Lions, also adding the Bengals’ longest rush of the game (13 yards) and their longest punt return (11 yards).

“He’s had a great camp,” Burrow said. “He’s quick, shifty, understands what we’re trying to do. You know, he’s played a lot in the CFL. So he comes over here and he hasn’t played a lot in the NFL, but he’s got a lot of reps under his belt.

“We’ve seen a lot out of him.”

Dohnte Meyers’ long road to his NFL dreams

The 5-11, 186-pound Meyers, who turned 26 last month, is only four months younger than Ja’Marr Chase. Meyers was first eligible for the 2023 NFL Draft, after playing college football at Presbyterian (2018-2019) and Delta State (2020-2022). After a tryout with the Falcons that year, the undrafted Meyers signed a futures deal with the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders, spending time on their practice squad initially.

Meyers finally broke out in 2025, catching 65 passes for 1,056 yards and eight TDs, earning CFL West All-Star honors and helping the Riders win the Grey Cup. The Bengals signed him to a reserve/futures contract in January, and Meyers has opened some eyes. Cracking one of the NFL’s best WR rooms won’t be easy, but Meyers is making a great case.

Not bad for a guy who spent several months as a DoorDash delivery driver, waiting for his next football opportunity. Training during the day, then driving at night, sometimes until 2 or 3 a.m.. Perhaps that was the training Meyers needed to make the overnight drive, with his brother as copilot, for Burrow’s pre-camp throwing session.

Meyers confirmed the story after the game, saying he finished training that day, sneaked in a quick nap and then the brothers hopped in the car around midnight. They arrived in Cincinnati around 6 or 7 the next morning. Meyers said he wanted Burrow and the Bengals to know he was all in on making the club.

“I feel like (it was) to let him know I am committed,” Meyers said of his midnight run after the game. “Whatever it takes. Whether I gotta fly or I gotta drive, the quarterback says he wants to throw, I am ready to work. … If he’s ready to throw, I am ready to catch.”

So what does it feel like when Burrow sends that text?

“It sounds like ‘Yes. Yes, I’ll be there,'” Meyers said.

Camp rolls on, and the Bengals have two more preseason games remaining, but Meyers is doing his best to make an early, strong impression. Burrow, for one, has taken notice.

“Number one,” Burrow said, “he just loves ball.”