Chad Johnson, Boomer Esiason to Be Inducted in Bengals' Ring of Honor in W3 vs. Rams

Chad Johnson and Boomer Esiason have received the call for the Cincinnati Bengals' Ring of Honor.

The Bengals announced Thursday that Johnson and Esiason will be inducted into the team's Ring of Honor during the 2023 season. A ceremony will be held during halftime of a Monday Night Football matchup against the Los Angeles Rams on Sept. 25.

Johnson and Esiason will join Ken Anderson, Willie Anderson, Paul Brown, Isaac Curtis, Anthony Muñoz and Ken Riley in the Bengals' Ring of Honor.

Bengals President Mike Brown said, via the team's website:

"Boomer and Chad were both exceptional players. If you look at the statistics, Boomer has a long list of quarterback firsts here. And Chad was a superb athlete who was probably the quickest receiver we have had here. They could have moments when they just carried the team by themselves. Both players are very deserving of this honor."

The Bengals selected Esiason in the second round of the 1984 draft out of Maryland, and he starred for the franchise from 1984-1992 before spending time with the New York Jets from 1993-95 and the Arizona Cardinals in 1996.

Esiason returned to the Bengals for the 1997 season to cap off his career.

In 10 seasons with the franchise, Esiason completed 56.5 percent of his passes for 27,149 yards and 187 touchdowns against 131 interceptions. His best season came in 1988 when he threw for 3,572 yards and 28 touchdowns against 14 interceptions in 16 games en route to being named the league's MVP.

Despite earning three of his four Pro Bowls in Cincinnati, Esiason led the Bengals to just two postseason appearances. During the 1988 season, the Bengals reached Super Bowl XXIII, falling to the San Francisco 49ers. They fell to the then-Oakland Raiders in the divisional round during the 1990 season.

Esiason ranks third in Bengals history in passing yards and touchdowns behind Ken Anderson and Andy Dalton.

Esiason said of his selection to the Ring of Honor:

"I will always remember I got this because of the season ticket holders. They're the ones who have the memories. They're the ones who spend the money to support the team. They're the ones who know who their favorite players are and who had the biggest impact when they were there. That's not to be taken lightly or ever taken for granted."

Johnson, also known as "Ochocinco," was selected by the Bengals in the second round of the 2001 draft out of Oregon State. He spent 10 seasons in Cincinnati from 2001-10 before ending his career with the New England Patriots in 2011.

The 45-year-old caught 751 passes for 10,783 yards and 66 touchdowns in his 10 seasons with the Bengals. One of his best seasons came in 2005 when he caught 97 passes for 1,432 yards and nine touchdowns in 16 games.

Johnson posted six consecutive seasons of 1,000-plus receiving yards from 2002-07 and also recorded more than 1,000-plus receiving yards during the 2009 campaign.

Johnson earned six Pro Bowl selections and two First Team All-Pro selections during his tenure with the Bengals. He ranks first in Bengals history in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.

Johnson said of being inducted into the team's Ring of Honor:

"It means everything. To be shown appreciation for all the years of hard work is awesome. It's a great honor and I'm very appreciative. I'm getting my flowers now while I can smell them. To me, this honor means much more than getting a gold jacket, honestly. This is home. The fans understand the good times and the bad times, the ups and downs, and they accepted me as my true authentic self. This is a welcome home – you will always be a part of us – and this means a lot to me. A lot."

The Bengals inducted Willie Anderson and Curtis to the Ring of Honor last year.