Corey Dillon Blasts Bengals for 'Near-Criminal' Omission from Team's Ring of Honor

Corey Dillon is unhappy he hasn't received serious consideration for the Cincinnati Bengals' Ring of Honor.

In a candid conversation with Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic, Dillon called it "damn-near criminal" that voters for the award have refused to include him among the iconic players in team history:

"Did I not play for them? I don't know, bro. I'm curious about that. Because it looks like they are glossing over me. For what reason? Because I left? That's not a good enough reason. You are telling me there's five other guys better than me — at my position? And trust me, this is no knock on whoever is getting in, who goes in, that's not what it is about. It's about what is your excuse going to be? I'm pretty sure they will put f--king Jon Kitna in there before they put me. Matter of fact, Scott Mitchell will end up in that motherf--ker before I do."

Dillon's frustration about the Bengals' Ring of Honor—which was created in 2021—were merely a part of his venting. The four-time Pro Bowler also believes he deserves strong consideration for the Pro Football Hall of Fame:

"That's why I resurfaced, man. Because there has been a lot of wrong that needs to be un-wronged. Nobody gets this. I don't want to get into people's personal business, but there are a lot of Hall of Famers that did far more worse s--t than I did. We can cancel out that excuse. There is no excuse for that. On top of that, I thought the game was predicated on numbers. Are people looking at the numbers like, 'Nah, nah'? I don't think so."

From a statistical perspective, Dillon certainly warrants inclusion in the Bengals' Ring of Honor. He's the franchise's all-time leader in rushing yards (8,061) by a wide margin. James Brooks ranks second with 6,447 yards.

Dillon ran for at least 1,100 yards in each of his first six seasons. After an injury-plagued 2003, the Bengals traded him to the New England Patriots for a second-round draft pick.

The University of Washington alum proceeded to have the best season of his career in 2004 with 1,635 rushing yards to help the Patriots win the Super Bowl. He played two more years before retiring in 2007.

If you include a player's character in their candidacy for the Ring of Honor and Pro Football Hall of Fame, things get murky for Dillon. He was arrested twice, including once during his playing career, on suspicion of assaulting his then-wife.

The first arrest came in August 2000 when police responded to a domestic violence complaint. Officers said Dillon and his wife were in a car she was driving when he allegedly struck her, causing her mouth to bleed.

Dillon was arrested again in May 2010 on suspicion of assaulting his wife during an argument at their home. He was booked and released on $50,000 bail. He was also arrested in April 2010 for suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.

Dillon pleaded not guilty to two misdemeanor charges related to the DUI. Prosecutors declined to press charges following the 2010 suspicion of domestic violence arrest because of insufficient evidence.

Dehner noted Dillon attended a diversion program and made a donation to a women's shelter stemming from his 2000 arrest.