Dohnte Meyers believes ‘a lot of’ CFL players could play in the NFL

Photo credit: Cincinnati Bengals.

Former Saskatchewan Roughrider turned Cincinnati Bengals receiver Dohnte Meyers believes there are other CFL players who could make the jump to the NFL.

“A lot of players, a lot of players. Football is football. I think a lot of times it’s opportunities,” Meyers told 3DownNation. “Of course there’s a skill gap in some areas, but there’s also some people that get, how do I say, lost in… that fall short because they aren’t awarded certain opportunities. But that’s why the CFL is such a beautiful game because I was one of the people that didn’t get certain opportunities and was able to play in that beautiful league.” 

The 26-year-old led the Bengals with 11 receptions for 121 yards in three NFL preseason games. He earned a 53-man active roster spot entering the regular season for his performance in organized team activities during the spring and training camp in the summer.

“The headspace that I was in was being grateful. Understanding that every day is an opportunity to come to work and play professional football. Whether it was in the CFL or NFL, the approach doesn’t change; the attention to detail doesn’t change. Every day is to come in here to get better,” Meyers said.

“It’s what we do for work, but it’s our craft also, something that we spend a lot of hours on. Me being able to soak in and soak up the experience from the guys, to be able to compete with them, to be able to push — we aren’t just showing up to show up. OTAs are part of our training program, and it’s an advantage that you can use to get ready for the season.”

Meyers has great pass catchers to learn from: two-time All-Pro Ja’Marr Chase and Pro Bowler Tee Higgins. His locker sits in the middle of the two star receivers. Chase led the NFL in receptions (127), receiving yards (1,708), and receiving touchdowns (17) in 2024.

“Seeing him and watching him from afar, being a fan of his game, now being able to experience it and work with him and continue to grow with him, it’s a blessing and a beautiful opportunity,” Meyers said.

“Watching his work ethic, his attention to detail and his craft, and being around like-minded people that love to perfect their craft and continue to get better, the people that set their bar high to continue to push themselves is something that you want from the best receiver in the league.”

Chase, Higgins and Meyers will be catching footballs from three-time Pro Bowl quarterback Joe Burrow. His newest target, No. 81, has done whatever it takes, including driving overnight from Atlanta to Cincinnati, to work out with the two-time NFL Comeback Player of the Year. He can’t even put a number on how much time has been spent getting up to speed with Burrow.

“A lot, a lot of hours, too many to count. I can’t even think of how many hours I spent. Whether it’s from OTAs, because we meet together a lot as a unit. A lot of those things overlap. Practice overlaps, OTAs, after practice, extra reps, all those things, they all marry together,” Meyers said.

Burrow’s dad Jim played for Montreal, Calgary and Ottawa during a five-year career in the CFL from 1977 to 1981. Meyers had a conversation or two about the three-down league with the Burrows. Cincinnati head coach Zac Taylor was a backup quarterback for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2007.

“Everybody’s either been interested, or they know somebody that’s played in the CFL. Coach Taylor played in the CFL. When they went to the Grey Cup, he said they played in the SkyDome. Our strength coach (Joey Boese) played at Calgary, so me and him chopped it up about that,” Meyers said.

“A couple of people are familiar with the game, so we were able to connect on that basis because not a lot of people either understand or are able to have direct access with somebody that’s this close to the game this soon. They either played in the past or (know) somebody that did, so they were interested in the little nuances; some things have changed.”

What else has changed — Meyers’ salary. He earned approximately $46,000 CAD in 2024 as a CFL rookie, plus two playoff cheques. In 2025, his base salary bumped up, and he took home $1,000 for being named a West Division all-star, which brought his regular season compensation to $75,500 CAD, along with three additional postseason payments.

As an NFL rookie, Meyers’ minimum base salary checks in at $885,000 USD. He received a $10,000 USD signing bonus to ink his contract with the Bengals. That’s more than a 10x increase. It’s even more unbelievable when you consider he paid $100 USD to attend an open tryout with Saskatchewan to begin his professional football career.

“He’s earned his way, that’s for sure. He continued to make plays over and over again. That’s how you make it, when the opportunity comes your way and the ball comes your way, you gotta make the most of it. It’s a tough lineup to crack, but he has shown that with the ball in his hands he can be really good,” Taylor told the media.

Meyers bet on himself, and it’s paid life-changing dividends.