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.  We are pleased to present our pre-2026 revision of our top 50 Cincinnati Bengals.

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

1.  Duration and Impact.

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

3.  Advanced Statistics.

4.  Playoff performance.

5. Their respective legacy on the team.

6. How successful the team was when he was there.

7. Respecting the era in which they played.

Criteria 1-4 will make up the lion’s share of the algorithm.  Please note that we have implemented this for the first time.  This has changed the rankings all throughout the board.

Last year, the Bengals had a rough year, dealing with copious injuries and limped their way to a 6-11 record.  Two significant elevations and no new entries appeared on the list.

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 complete list here:

Wide Receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who is coming off his second straight First Team All-Pro, rocketed from #25 to #11.

Notably, Quarterback Joe Burrow, who was injured for much of the season, held at #19.

Defensive End Trey Hendrickson, who is now with the Baltimore Ravens, has moved up one spot to #25.

Wide Receiver Tee Higgins, who went to his first Pro Bowl last year, vaulted to #36 from #45.

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

Chosen in the second round (33rd overall) of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Clemson, Tee Higgins has provided the Cincinnati Bengals with a massive, reliable target on the outside. Possessing ideal size, an expansive catch radius, and exceptional body control along the boundary, Higgins formed one of the NFL's premier receiving tandems alongside Ja'Marr Chase, serving as a vital engine for Joe Burrow and the Bengals' vertical passing attack.

Higgins showcased his big-play ability from his very first snap, catching 67 passes for 908 yards and six touchdowns as a rookie in 2020. He elevated his game further in 2021, breaking the four-figure mark with 1,091 receiving yards and six touchdowns while helping propel Cincinnati to an AFC Championship and an appearance in Super Bowl LVI. Higgins backed up that breakout with a second consecutive 1,000-yard effort in 2022, hauling in 74 passes for 1,029 yards and seven scores as the Bengals returned to the AFC title game.

After a hamstring injury briefly slowed his production in 2023, Higgins rebounded with a sharp 2024 campaign, racking up 911 receiving yards and catching a career-high 10 touchdowns—marking the first time in his career he reached double-digit scores in a single season. Playing under the franchise tag again in 2025, Higgins delivered another steady, high-volume year, continuing to win contested catches and anchor the perimeter offense.

Heading into the 2026 season, Higgins stands on the brink of significant career milestones, needing only a fraction of his usual output to eclipse 5,000 career receiving yards and 40 touchdown catches in a Bengals uniform.