Former Bearcats cornerback Matthew McDoom was announced to be picked up by the Cincinnati Bengals and get a shot to earn a spot in the defensive backs room during Cincinnati's next preseason games against the Chicago Bears and the Philadelphia Eagles.
This past season for the Bearcats, McDoom was the top cornerback, totaling 50 tackles, 29 of them coming solo, and also adding four pass deflections and an interception returned 100 yards for a touchdown against the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Before transferring to Cincinnati, McDoom played three seasons at Coastal Carolina, totaling 21 pass deflections and 3 interceptions.
McDoom was originally signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent on April 25th, before being waived on August 8th, before the Ravens' preseason game against the Eagles.
McDoom joins a number of former Bearcats currently on the Bengals, like safety Bryan Cook and 2025 teammate Jack Dingle. Both McDoom and Dingle will be fighting for spots on the 53-man roster, which is to be finalized on August 30th by the 6:00 p.m. deadline.
The Bengals currently have 10 cornerbacks listed on their roster, which is expected to shrink to 6 cornerbacks by the season's start. DJ Turner II, Dax Hill, Tacario Davis, Josh Newton, and DJ Ivey all likely have spots already on the 53-man roster, which leaves McDoom to compete for a final spot with Ja'Sir Taylor, Jalen Kimber, Jalen Davis, and Brayln Lux.
McDoom will get his first opportunity with the Bengals on Saturday, August 21st, when the Bengals take on the Chicago Bears.
We have signed free agent CB Matthew McDoom. pic.twitter.com/Cn4eqT7SBA
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) August 15, 2026
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