Top 50 Cincinnati Bengals
If you want 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 three Super Bowls, losing the first two to the San Francisco 49ers and in 2020 to the Los Angeles Rams. While they have never been a champion, three Super Bowl appearances are the envy of a few teams in the NFL.
This list is up to the end of the 2024 regular season.
Note: Football lists are based on an amalgamation of tenure, traditional statistics, advanced statistics, playoff statistics, and post-season accolades.
Who else could it possibly be? Drafted third overall in the 1980 NFL Draft from USC, Anthony Muñoz joined Cincinnati after excelling in both football and baseball at college, winning national titles in each. Despite significant knee injuries that kept him out for most of his last two college seasons and led several teams to pass on him, the Bengals…
Ken Anderson was drafted in the third round (67th overall) of the 1971 NFL Draft from Division III Augustana College. He joined Cincinnati quietly, without the fanfare typically given to marquee college stars. Throughout his 16-year career with the Bengals, Anderson developed into an accurate passer, a trailblazer of contemporary offensive strategies, and one of the most productive quarterbacks in…
Geno Atkins from the University of Georgia was picked in the fourth round (120th overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Bengals. He faced many questions about his size; at 6 feet 1 inch, scouts doubted he had the length to compete inside against large interior linemen. However, Atkins utilized his low center of gravity and quick first step,…
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…
Chosen in the second round (38th overall) of the 1984 NFL Draft out of Maryland, Norman "Boomer" Esiason arrived in Southwestern Ohio as the designated heir apparent to franchise legend Ken Anderson. Despite falling to the second round, Esiason held the distinction of being the first quarterback taken in his draft class. Armed with a fiery swagger, a cannon for…
Willie Anderson, from Auburn, was selected 10th overall in the 1996 NFL Draft. Coming from Auburn, Anderson entered the NFL as a powerful presence, quickly securing a starting position at right tackle. Over the next decade or more, he served as the key pillar of the Bengals' offensive line. At 6 feet 5 inches and over 340 pounds, Anderson possessed…
Whether you call him Chad Johnson or Chad OchoCinco, you are talking about one of the greatest offensive weapons in the history of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Selected fourth overall in the 2011 NFL Draft out of Georgia, A.J. Green arrived in Cincinnati as the highest-drafted receiver in the class and an immediate game-changer. Stepping onto the field alongside fellow rookie quarterback Andy Dalton, Green launched a decade-defining partnership that transformed the Bengals into a perennial playoff contender. Green was the prototype for a smooth, boundary-dominating wide…
Drafted in the seventh round (163rd overall) of the 1970 NFL Draft out of Lincoln University of Missouri, Lemar Parrish stepped onto the professional scene as an unheralded small-school prospect. It took almost no time for "Leapin' Lemar" to establish himself as one of the most explosive, multifaceted defensive backs and return specialists in the game. Parrish blended flawless, mirror-like…
Andrew Whitworth, drafted in the second round (55th overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft from LSU—where he contributed to the 2003 BCS National Championship team—became a key figure on the Ohio River. He quickly secured a starting spot, enabling an 11-year tenure as the Bengals' primary leader and foundation on the offensive line. Standing at 6 feet 7 inches and…
Reunited, and it feels so good. Selected fifth overall in the 2021 NFL Draft out of LSU, Ja’Marr Chase wasted no time proving that his championship chemistry with quarterback Joe Burrow translated seamlessly to the professional ranks. Arriving in Cincinnati as a dynamic deep threat, Chase immediately stepped in as the focal point of the Bengals' aerial attack. Chase combines…
Reggie Williams, a third-round pick (82nd overall) in the 1976 NFL Draft from Dartmouth, arrived in Cincinnati as an extraordinarily intelligent, relentless linebacker. Stepping straight into the lineup, he went on to play his entire 14-year professional career in a Bengals uniform, serving as the dependable anchor on the right side of the defense through two Super Bowl runs. Williams…
Selected in the first round (24th overall) of the 1981 NFL Draft out of Auburn by the San Diego Chargers, James Brooks joined Cincinnati through a trade in 1984. That transaction proved to be one of the most significant in Bengals history, as the agile running back became the versatile engine of Coach Sam Wyche's innovative "No-Huddle" offense. Brooks was…
Selected in the second round (35th overall) of the 2011 NFL Draft out of TCU, Andy Dalton stepped straight into the fire in Cincinnati. Winning the starting quarterback job as a rookie, "The Red Rifle" immediately established stability under center and spearheaded one of the most consistent regular-season runs in franchise history. Dalton depended on rapid decision-making, precise timing, and…
Max Montoya, a seventh-round pick(168th overall in the 1979 NFL Draft from UCLA), became one of the Cincinnati Bengals' greatest late-round steals. During his 11 seasons with the team, he consistently anchored the right guard position with aggressive physicality and reliable technical skill, contributing to one of the top offensive lines of the 1980s alongside Hall of Famer Anthony Muñoz.…
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…
Selected first overall in the 2003 NFL Draft from the University of Southern California—where he secured the 2002 Heisman Trophy—Carson Palmer arrived in Cincinnati as a prospect capable of redefining the franchise. After remaining on the bench throughout his entire rookie season behind Jon Kitna, Palmer assumed the starting role in 2004 and promptly revolutionized the Bengals into one of…
Taken 15th overall in the first round of the 1973 NFL Draft out of San Diego State, Isaac Curtis arrived in Southwest Ohio with Olympic-caliber track speed. Over a 12-season career spent exclusively with the Cincinnati Bengals, Curtis revolutionized deep-threat wide receiver play, forcing NFL defenses to fundamentally change how they covered pass catchers along the boundary. Curtis had exceptional…
There are two distinct images for us with Joe Burrow in 2020. The first is the QB leading LSU to a National Championship, which he punctuated with a celebratory stogie. The second was in his parents’ humble home, where he was drafted #1 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Joe Burrow arrived in Southwest Ohio with immediate savior expectations. Over his first…
