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.

2024: Pre-Season Rank: #127.  Peak Period 2019-23.

Trey Hendrickson came into his own in his last season in New Orleans (2020) with a 13.5 Sack/12 TFL year, but once he joined the Cincinnati Bengals, he became a defensive juggernaut.

The Bengals were defensively an issue in 2024, but Trey Hendrickson was carrying the squad, performing so well that he led the NFL in Sacks (17.5) and was second in Defensive Player of the Year voting.  Henrickson has been a Pro Bowler all four of his Cincinnati years, and based on the off-field negotiations in 2025, the Bengals are hoping that he can lead the Southern Ohio to the promised land.

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.

A product of Florida Atlantic, Trey Hendrickson spent his first four NFL seasons building a foundation with the New Orleans Saints before signing with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2021. It was in the jungle that he transformed into a game-wrecking edge rusher, becoming a premier force for Cincinnati's defense.

Hendrickson relied on explosive initial get-off, exceptional dip-and-rip ankle flexion, and relentless closing speed. Operating as the right defensive end, his defining trait was converting speed to power on the edge, relentlessly harassing opposing quarterbacks and collapsing the pocket.

Hendrickson’s impact was immediate and explosive upon arriving in 2021. Silencing critics who doubted his contract, he set a then-career high with 14.0 sacks, 27 quarterback hits, and three forced fumbles in his debut season. He established a franchise record by recording at least half a sack in 11 consecutive games, earned his first Pro Bowl selection, and led a revitalized defense to Super Bowl LVI, where he added another 3.5 sacks during Cincinnati's postseason run.

In 2022, despite battling a wrist injury that put him in a protective cast, Hendrickson remained a constant threat. He tallied 8.0 sacks, 26 quarterback hits, and three forced fumbles in 15 starts, earning his second straight Pro Bowl nod as Cincinnati captured its second consecutive AFC North title and advanced to the AFC Championship Game.

Hendrickson reached a new level of dominance in 2023, recording 17.5 sacks (tying the Bengals' single-season franchise record), 16 tackles for loss, and 43 quarterback hits. His high-volume disruption earned him a third consecutive Pro Bowl selection and solidified his standing as one of the NFL's premier game-wreckers.

His peak came in 2024, when he delivered a historic pass-rushing masterclass. Hendrickson captured the NFL sack title with a league-leading 17.5 sacks and added 19 tackles for loss, 36 quarterback hits, and two forced fumbles. Highlighted by a dominant 4.0-sack performance against the Raiders in Week 9, Hendrickson earned First-Team All-Pro honors and his fourth straight Pro Bowl selection, and finished second in the AP Defensive Player of the Year voting.

Following a public offseason contract saga, Hendrickson agreed to a restructured one-year deal to play out the 2025 season in Cincinnati. However, injuries derailed his fifth year in Queen City, limiting him to just seven games and 4.0 sacks.

With the team opting not to apply the franchise tag in early 2026, the long-standing contract impasse reached its final chapter, and Hendrickson departed in free agency to sign with the division-rival Baltimore Ravens. He generated 61.0 sacks, 55 tackles for loss, 132 quarterback hits, and nine forced fumbles in Cincinnati.