Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the top 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we maintain and update our existing Top 50 lists annually.  As such, we are delighted to present our post-2024 revision of our top 50 Cincinnati Bengals.

As for all of our top 50 players in football, we look at the following: 

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Football League.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles that are not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, the Bengals were led by an explosive offense featuring Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, but the defense let them down, and Cincinnati was unable to make the playoffs, finishing with a 9-8 record.  There was one new entrant, and multiple elevations based on last year’s season.

As always, we present our top five, which remains unchanged in that ranking.

1. Anthony Munoz
2. Ken Anderson
3. Geno Atkins
4. Ken Riley
5. Boomer Esiason 

You can find the entire list here. 

Superstar Quarterback Joe Burrow rocketed from #36 to #19.  Burrow was fourth in MVP voting in 2024.

Burrow’s prime weapon, Wide Receiver Ja’Marr Chase, also has a substantial increase by going from #49 to #25.  Chase earned his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl last year.

Defensive star Trey Henrickson jumped to #26 from #50.  He was last year’s Defensive Player of the Year’s runner-up.

The lone new entry is Wide Receiver Tee Higgins.  He comes in at #45.

We thank you for your continued support of our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the top 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists and consistently look to update them when necessary and based on necessity. As such, we are delighted to present our post-2023 revision of our top 50 Cincinnati Bengals.

As for all of our top 50 players in football, we look at the following:

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Football League.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles that are not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, the Bengals were unable to make the playoffs, though did have a winning record (9-8).  2023 still saw four new names enter the Top 50 with two elevations.

As always, we present our top five, which saw no changes:

1. Anthony Munoz
2. Ken Anderson
3. Geno Atkins
4. Ken Riley
5. Boomer Esiason 

You can find the entire list here.

Running Back Joe Mixon, now with the Houston Texans, moved up from #35 to #30.

Quarterback Joe Burrow advanced to #36 from #48.

The four new entries are:

Wide Receiver Tyler Boyd, now a Tennessee Titan, enters at #43.

Linebacker Germaine Pratt debuts at #44.

Three-time Pro Bowler (in only three years) Wide Receiver Ja’Marr Chase comes in at #49.

The last entry is defensive end Trey Hendrickson, another three-time Pro Bowler (again, in only three seasons).

Offensive Lineman Rich Braham, Wide Receiver Darnay Scott, Defensive End Michael Johnson, and Defensive Tackle Mike Reid fell off the Top 50.

We thank you for your continued support of our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity. As such, we are very happy to present our post 2022 revision of our top 50 Cincinnati Bengals.

As for all of our top 50 players in football we look at the following:

1. Advanced Statistics.

2. Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Football League.

3. Playoff accomplishments.

4. Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, the Bengals made it to their second straight AFC Championship Game, though could not make their second consecutive Super Bowl. 2022 brought us one new entrant and one elevation.

As always, we present our top five, which had no changes.

1. Anthony Munoz

2. Ken Anderson

3. Geno Atkins

4. Ken Riley

5. Boomer Esiason

You can find the entire list here.

Running Back, Joe Mixon went up ten spots to #35.

The lone new entrant is Quarterback, Joe Burrow, who debuts at #48.

We welcome your input and comments and as always, we thank you for your support.

For us, this is as big as the Super Bowl

Tonight, at the NFL Honors, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced the nine new members of the Canton based institution.

The Class of 2023 is:

Joe Thomas, Offensive Tackle, Cleveland Browns 2007-17:  Thomas was expected to be a first ballot inductee, and that is what transpired for the former Outland Trophy winner.  The runner-up for the 2007 Offensive Rookie of the Year, Thomas played a record-breaking 10,363 Snaps and allowed only 30 Sacks.  Charting new territory as the first Offensive Lineman to make the Pro Bowl in his first ten years, Thomas was a six-time First Team All-Pro and 2010’s All-Decade player.  

Darrelle Revis, Cornerback, New York Jets 2007-12 & 2015-16, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2013, New England Patriots 2014, Kansas City Chiefs 2017:  Along with Joe Thomas, Revis is a first ballot inductee, and the Super Bowl Champion with the Pats went to seven Pro Bowls with four First Team All-Pros and was a 2010s All-Decade player.  The proprietor of Revis Island had 29 Interceptions and was second in 2009 Defensive Player of the Year voting.

DeMarcus Ware, Linebacker, Dallas Cowboys 2005-13, Denver Broncos 2014-16:  Many expected Ware to enter on year one, but here he is on his second go.  Amassing 138.5 Sacks and twice leading the league, the Linebacker was a nine-time Pro Bowl and four-time First Team All-Pro and a Super Bowl Champion late in his career with the Broncos.

Zach Thomas, Linebacker, Miami Dolphins 1995-2007, Dallas Cowboys 2008:  Thomas was a Finalist the last four years, and is now a Hall of Famer on his tenth year on the ballot.  The Linebacker had eleven years where he broke at least 100 Tackles, and he was a five-time First Team All-Pro as well as a seven-time Pro Bowler.

Ronde Barber, Cornerback, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1997-2012:  With all due respect to Barber, this was a slight surprise, as his selection gave us three Corners (including Revis and Riley) in the 2023 Class.  A Super Bowl Champion, Barber is the only player in history with at least 45 Interceptions and 25 Sacks.  A 2000’s All-Decade Selection, Barber went to five Pro Bowls.

Chuck Howley, Linebacker, Chicago Bears 1958-59, Dallas Cowboys 1961-73:  This was a long time coming for Howley, who has been eligible for 45 years, and had never been a Finalist.  The first, and only player to win the Super Bowl MVP on a losing team, Howley got the Super Bowl Ring later, and also had six Pro Bowls and five First Team All-Pros on his docket.

Ken Riley, Cornerback, Cincinnati Bengals 1969-83:  Riley was never a Finalist before this year, and the career Bengal was used to being snubbed, having only one First Team All-Pro despite 65 career Interceptions.  This gives the Bengals their second Hall of Famer, behind Offensive Lineman, Anthony Munoz.

Joe Klecko, Defensive Tackle, New York Jets, 1977-87, Indianapolis Colts 1988.  Klecko enters the Hall of Fame after 30 years of eligibility and now the “New York Sack Exchange” has a Hall of Fame inductee.  He was the second player (after Frank Gifford) to earn Pro Bowl honors at three different positions and he was named by UPI as their Defensive Player of the Year in 1981.

Don Coryell, Head Coach, St. Louis Cardinals 1973-77, San Diego Chargers 1978-86:  Coyell was one of the most influential minds in football, revolutionizing the passing game with his “Air Coryell” offense.  A Finalist six previous times, Coryell finally receives his due, albeit 12 years after his death.

As per Clark Judge, the first five Finalists cut were Devin Hester, Willie Anderson, Darren Woodson, Dwight Freeney and Patrick Willis.  Hester, is a bit of a surprise, as he made it to the final ten last year.  

The three Wide Receivers on the ballot, Andre Johnson, Torry Holt and Reggie Wayne made it to the top ten, but none advanced, meaning that the logjam at Wide Receiver remains clogged.  Jared Allen, who has been a Finalist every year since eligible, also made it to the final cut.  The biggest disappointment was for Albert Lewis, who had to wait until his final year of modern eligibility to make it as a Finalist (or even a Semi-Finalist) was also in the final ten and now is in the very deep Seniors pool.

We will be revising our Notinhalloffame.com list next month, where we will remove those inducted, add those now eligible, and alter the list based on your votes and comments.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2023.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team.  We have a new one to unveil today, that of the Cincinnati Bengals. 

If you want you to name a team that exemplifies hard luck in the National Football League, it would have to be the Cincinnati Bengals. 

Formed in 1968 as the last member of the American Football League, the Bengals joined the NFL with the official merger two years later.  Cincinnati always seems to be a team that struggles, but they have appeared in two Super Bowls, losing both to the San Francisco 49ers.  While they have never been a champion, two Super Bowl appearances are the envy of a few teams in the NFL.  

As for all of our top 50 players in football we look at the following: 

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2. Traditional statistics and how they finished in the NFL.

3. Playoff accomplishments.

4. Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

Remember, this is ONLY based on what a player does on that particular team and not what he accomplished elsewhere and also note that we have placed an increased importance on the first two categories.

This list is updated up until the end of the 2019 Season.

The complete list can be found here, but as always, we announce our top five in this article.  They are:

1. Antony Munoz

2. Ken Anderson

3. Geno Atkins

4. Boomer Esiason

5. Ken Riley

We will continue our adjustments on our existing lists and will continue developing our new lists.  

Look for our more material coming soon!

Up next, will be the top 50 Cincinnati Bengals.

As always we thank you for your support.

Drafted in the sixth round (135th overall) of the 1969 AFL Draft out of Florida A&M, Ken Riley arrived in Cincinnati as a star college quarterback. Like so many Black quarterbacks of his era, he was immediately transitioned to defense by head coach Paul Brown. Riley embraced the position switch, transforming into "The Rattler"—a technician at boundary corner whose 15-year career in Cincinnati stood as a masterclass in durability, film study, and ballhawking precision.

Riley was not a flashy cornerback who relied on trash talk or raw, unbridled size. Instead, his former quarterbacking eyes gave him a massive diagnostic advantage. He studied opposing route combinations obsessively, allowing him to jump passing lanes, bait quarterbacks into tight windows, and secure interceptions without giving up deep leverage. His footwork was exceptionally fluid, and his sure-handed tackling made him a complete, dependable defender on the edge.

Riley made an immediate impact in his 1969 rookie campaign, snagging four interceptions. He quickly secured a starting cornerback spot and launched a remarkable 15-year run of health and consistency, recording at least one interception in each of his 15 seasons.

In the mid-1970s, Riley established himself as a top cover man. He earned Second-Team All-Pro honors in 1975 after a five-interception season, and in 1976, he again received Second-Team All-Pro recognition following a career-high nine interceptions.

Despite his staggering takeaways and lockdown coverage, Riley was famously overlooked for the Pro Bowl throughout his career—a snub that baffled voters for decades. Yet his final season in 1983 served as the ultimate mic-drop moment. At 36, Riley started all 16 games, intercepted eight passes (returning two for touchdowns), and earned his long-overdue First-Team All-Pro selection.

He retired after the 1983 season, having played 207 regular-season games—all with the Bengals—and recorded 65 career interceptions, five touchdown returns, and 18 fumble recoveries. His 65 picks ranked fourth in NFL history at the time of his retirement and remain tied for fifth all-time.

When the franchise inaugurated the Cincinnati Bengals Ring of Honor in 2021, Riley was naturally enshrined as one of four charter members alongside Anthony Muñoz, Ken Anderson, and Paul Brown. His legacy received its final, righteous validation when he was posthumously elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2023.

One of the greatest players in the history of the Cincinnati Bengals passed away today, as it was announced that Ken Riley died at the age of 72.  

Playing collegiately at Florida A&M, the Bengals selected the then Quarterback in the Sixth Round of the 1969 Draft.  The Bengals management converted him to Cornerback, where he would become the most prolific Defensive Back in franchise history.

Riley played his entire pro career with the Bengals, accumulating 65 Interceptions with five Touchdowns over 207 Games.  

Despite his high amount of Interceptions, Riley was never voted on to a Pro Bowl team. He would make a First Team All-Pro in his final season (1983), but a deeper look at his career shows a player deserving of more.  

Following his playing career, Riley returned to his alma mater, where he became Florida A&M’s Head Coach.  He took the Rattlers to two Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Titles and he was also a two-time MEAC Coach of the Year.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the friends, fans and Family of Ken Riley.