Two unlikely journeys came full circle Sunday as a pair of preseason standouts earned spots on Cincinnati’s 53-man roster.
Roster cut-down day can be a nightmare for some, but it can also showcase some of the best stories of the preseason.
Players compete all summer in hopes of being one of the 53 guys selected to the main roster, with some of those players having long journeys or major roadblocks trying to get in the way. But in the end, they get to see their years of work pay off when they get the news that they have officially made it.
The Cincinnati Bengals made cuts Sunday to finalize their 53-man roster, and two names who made the team bring feel-good stories along with them.
Dohnte Meyers was a zero-star recruit out of high school, and he took his talents to Presbyterian College. He then transferred to Delta State, where he became a standout Division II receiver, finishing his Statesmen career with 120 receptions for 1,542 yards and 13 touchdowns.
He went undrafted in the 2023 NFL Draft, joining the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the CFL to continue his football career. Injuries derailed his rookie season in the CFL, but 2025 brought a breakout year for the undrafted receiver. Meyers caught 65 passes for 1,056 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging 16.2 yards per reception while helping Saskatchewan win the Grey Cup.
The Bengals saw the potential in Meyers and signed him to a reserve contract in January 2026. He arrived in Cincinnati with no NFL experience, but after becoming one of the standout players of training camp and the preseason, the 26-year-old receiver has officially made the 53-man roster.
Landon Robinson is another guy who bet on himself to get to this point. He attended the Naval Academy out of high school and established himself as a disruptive force on the defensive line. Over three seasons playing for the Midshipmen, Robinson played 38 games with 26 starts, finishing with 153 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss and 14.5 sacks.
His best season came in 2025, when he started all 13 games and recorded 64 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. He was named AAC Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team AP All-American, becoming Navy's first All-American in 40 years and its first defensive All-American in 50 years.
But even with all of the accolades, Robinson had what seemed like a steep hill to climb to make it to a 53-man roster. The Bengals selected him in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft, and after the signing of Dexter Lawrence and a group of returners on the defensive line, there wasn’t a guarantee he would make it in Cincinnati.
Like Meyers, Robinson was a standout in the preseason to secure his spot on the main roster. As a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps, changes to federal law allowed him to pursue professional football while fulfilling his military obligations through the Selected Reserve.
These two won’t be Pro Bowlers or drastically move the needle to get the Bengals where they want to go this year, but their stories show that there isn’t a single road that leads to making an NFL roster.
