My All Time Cincinnati Bengals Players

Formed by legendary coach Paul Brown, the Cincinnati Bengals have one of the most up-and-down histories in the NFL. The team has seen it’s fair share of great players, but because of bad luck, injuries or head cases, the Bengals haven’t been able to win a Super Bowl championship. Some of the top players in Bengals history have been on their two AFC winning teams. But in the Super Bowl, the Bengals fell short, each time to the San Francisco 49ers. Even when the Bengals have been bad, it hasn’t been for the team’s lack of talent.

The Bengals have been a proverbial sink or swim team. When they’ve been great, their best players helped carry them. In 1988, the Bengals last Super Bowl team, the league’s MVP was quarterback Boomer Esiason. Considered one of the great Bengals, Esasion led the team to several playoff berths during his time in Cincinnati. More recently, Chad “Ocho Cinco” Johnson and Carson Palmer helped lead the team to the playoffs. If not for an injury to Palmer in the 2005 playoffs, that Bengals team may have gone much farther. One of the greatest players though is offensive tackle Anthony Munoz. He is the only Bengal in the Hall of Fame is considered one of the best left tackles in NFL history.

The Cincinnati Bengals have had some great teams during their history. With a lineage of great quarterbacks, the Bengals have twice gone to the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, they lost both times.

OFFENSE

QUARTERBACKS

Ken Anderson

 

Boomer Esiason

 

Carson Palmer

 

RUNNING BACKS

James Brooks

 

Corey Dillon

 

Pete Johnson

 

WIDE RECEIVERS

Carl Pickens

 

Chad Johnson

 

Cris Collinsworth

 

Eddie Brown

 

TIGHT ENDS

Bob Trumpy

 

Rodney Holman

 

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN

Anthony Munoz

 

Max Montoya

 

Bob Johnson

 

Bruce Reimers

 

Willie Anderson

 

DEFENSE

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN

Coy Bacon

 

Tim Krumrie

 

Mike Reid

 

Eddie Edwards

 

LINEBACKERS

Reggie Williams

 

James Francis

 

Brian Simmons

 

Al Beauchamp

 

DEFENSIVE BACKS

Lemar Parrish

 

Ken Riley

 

Louis Breeden

 

Eric Thomas

 

Tommy Casanova

 

David Fulcher

 

SPECIAL TEAMS

K – Shayne Graham (2003-2008)

P – Lee Johnson (1988-1998)

PR – Tremain Mack (1997-2000)

KR – Mike Martin (1983-1989)

 

NICKNAME

• Paul Brown selected the name because there had once been a pro football team in Cincinnati named the Bengals and adopting that name “would provide a link with past professional football in Cincinnati.”

HEAD COACHES

• Paul Brown (1968-1975)
• Bill Johnson (1976-1978)
• Homer Rice (1978-1979)
• Forrest Gregg (1980-1983)
• Sam Wyche (1984-1991)
• David Shula (1992-1996)
• Bruce Coslet (1996-2000)
• Dick LeBeau (2000-2002)
• Marvin Lewis (2003-2018)
• Zac Taylor (2019-Present)

SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS

• None

SUPER BOWL APPEARANCES

• Super Bowl XVI (1981) – Cincinnati Bengals vs. San Francisco 49ers
• Super Bowl XXIII (1988) – Cincinnati Bengals vs. San Francisco 49ers

AFL/AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES

• 1981, 1988

DIVISION CHAMPIONS

• 1970, 1973, 1981, 1988, 1990, 2005, 2009, 2013, 2015

PLAYOFF APPEARANCES

• 1970, 1973, 1975, 1981, 1982, 1988, 1990, 2005, 2009, 2011

PLAYOFF RECORD

• 5-14 .263

HALL OF FAME PLAYERS

• Paul Brown Coach (1968-1975)
• Charlie Joiner WR (1972-1975)
• Anthony Munoz OT (1980-1992)

RETIRED NUMBERS

• 54 Bob Johnson C (1968-1979)

PRO BOWL MVP

• 2007 Carson Palmer QB

AWARDS

COACH OF THE YEAR

• 1969 Paul Brown
• 2009 Marvin Lewis

AFL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

• 1968 Paul Robinson RB
• 1969 Greg Cook QB

DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

• None

OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

• 1985 Eddie Brown WR
• 1992 Carl Pickens WR

AFL PLAYER OF THE YEAR

• None

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

• None

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

• 1981 Ken Anderson QB

NFL MVP

• 1981 Ken Anderson QB
• 1988 Boomer Esiason QB

SUPER BOWL MVP

• None

 

Paul Brown, who founded the Cleveland Browns in 1942, sold the Browns in 1962 and went to work organizing a Cincinnati team that played its first game in 1968. While the Bengals may not own any Super Bowl rings, they have won two AFC championship games, in 1981 and 1988, and were AFC Central Division champions five times, 1970, 1973, 1981, 1988, and 1990, as well as topping the AFC North in 2005.

©MMXIX My All Time Favorites, all pictures and logos, team names are property of the National Football League. This site is not affiliated with the NFL or Cincinnati Bengals.  All Football Cards are low resolution scans from a personal collection and each is credited with the production company name and year.  This site is maintained for research purposes only.