Selected in the second round (43rd overall) of the 1997 NFL Draft out of Washington, Corey Dillon arrived in Cincinnati as a punishing, power-packed running back. Over seven seasons in Southwest Ohio, Dillon served as the undisputed focal point of the Bengals' offense, shouldering a massive workload and establishing himself as one of the most physical ball carriers of his generation.

Dillon unified violent contact, explosive force, and elite balance through contact. Mainly operating from traditional single-back and I-formation formations, he enjoyed running between the tackles, employing a stiff-arm to fend off defensive backs and using churning legs to break arm tackles in the hole. Despite consistently facing stacked defensive boxes, Dillon had enough top-end speed to sprint away once he reached open field.

Dillon made a remarkable impact in his 1997 rookie season, earning PFWA All-Rookie honors after rushing for 1,129 yards and 10 touchdowns. A standout moment was his December game against the Tennessee Oilers, where he ran for 246 yards, breaking Jim Brown's 40-year-old single-game rookie rushing record.

Dillon's debut sparked an extraordinary period of productivity, with over 1,000 rushing yards in each of his first six NFL seasons. On October 22, 2000, he made a legendary showing against the Denver Broncos, rushing for 278 yards and breaking Walter Payton's single-game NFL record. Between 2000 and 2002, he achieved three straight seasons with at least 1,500 yards from scrimmage, with his best year being 2000 when he gained 1,435 rushing yards. His high volume and efficiency led to three consecutive Pro Bowl appearances from 1999 to 2001.

Following a challenging 2003 season affected by injuries, Cincinnati traded Dillon to the New England Patriots in April 2004. In Foxborough, he revived his career, setting a franchise single-season rushing record with 1,635 yards, earning his fourth Pro Bowl, and playing a key role in Patriots’ victory in Super Bowl XXXIX.

Dillon departed Cincinnati as the franchise's all-time leading rusher, with 8,061 rushing yards and 45 rushing touchdowns. In 2024, the Bengals honored his massive impact on the franchise by officially inducting him into the Bengals Ring of Honor.