Ranking the Top 5 Cincinnati Bengals Players of All Time
Though they have yet to win a Super Bowl, the Cincinnati Bengals have become one of the most successful and storied franchises in the NFL. The Bengals have a pair of conference championships and Super Bowl appearances, eight division titles and 12 playoff appearances on their resume, with a total playoff record of 5-12.
During its few short periods of excellence so far, Cincinnati has developed some of the NFL's greatest players who took the team to new heights, including three Hall of Famers (2 players, 1 coach), a pair of NFL MVPs and four Rookie of the Year winners.
In choosing the players for this list, each player was ranked based on career accomplishments, franchise and NFL records, popularity with fans, duration with the team, success of their respective teams and career awards.
To see more historic Bengals, check out the Bengals' Hall of Fame and their 40th Anniversary Team on Bengals.com
This list is complied of players from both of the aforementioned groups, and their stats come from ProFootballReference.com.
Honorable Mentions
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Charlie Joiner
Although Joiner is one of only two Bengals players to make the Hall of Fame, he spent the duration of his career with the San Diego Chargers and, therefore, did not qualify for the list. During his four-year tenure with the Bengals, Joiner recorded 82 receptions for 1,463 yards and six touchdowns.
Eddie Edwards
The former defensive lineman is perhaps the most overlooked player in Bengals history. Edwards is the Bengals' all-time sack leader with 47.5 total sacks (not including the 36 additional sacks that the Bengals attribute to him, as those came before sacks were officially recorded, per SI.com).
Although this puts Edwards at an unofficial total of 83.5 sacks in 170 total games (43 games in which sacks were officially recorded), the defensive lineman did not make the list due to the fact that most of his sacks were considered unofficial. Had his career started a few years later, Edwards could be ranked fifth or fourth on this list, as he was arguably the best defensive lineman in Bengals history.
Watch out for Green when this list is rewritten 20 years from now; Green has been the best receiver in the AFC since he entered the league as a rookie in 2011. With a total of 277 receptions for 4,147 yards and 31 touchdowns in less than three-and-a-half seasons, Green looks like he could become the best receiver in Bengals history and possibly one of the greatest in NFL history.
Dalton haters will hate, but Andy Dalton belongs on this list. With a career 12,609 yards and 86 touchdowns in just less than three-and-a-half seasons, Andy Dalton is well on his way to surpassing Boomer Esiason and Ken Anderson on this list. Although much of Dalton's success can be attributed to the emergence of A.J. Green, Dalton's 32-19-1 record gives him the best winning percentage by any Bengals quarterback by a long shot.
Dalton looks great in 2014, completing 68.4 percent of his passes and throwing for six touchdowns to just two interceptions in five games so far. Dalton has compiled 11 game-winning drives and six fourth-quarter comebacks in his career, and he would have had one more of each if not for a missed field goal in overtime that kept the Bengals tied with the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.
5. Chad Johnson, WR
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Chad Johnson, also briefly known as "Chad Ochocinco," is the best wide receiver in Bengals history. The six-time Pro Bowler recorded a total of 10,783 yards and 66 touchdowns during his tenure with the Bengals, helping the team reach the playoffs twice during his tenure.
Johnson's 10,783 yards on the Bengals is more than 3,000 yards more than the Bengals' next best receiver, and his 11,059 career receiving yards (276 with the Patriots) ranks him 30th all-time among NFL receivers.
Many fans enjoyed watching Ochocinco's antics on and off the field. Although his touchdown celebrations were considered over-the-top by many, Johnson's ability to catch touchdowns was something that few receivers in the early 2000s could match.
Playing for a Bengals team that boasts some of the NFL's greatest receivers in history, Johnson managed to lead the Bengals in almost every career and seasonal receiving statistic. Despite any negative feelings fans may have had towards Johnson as a person, Johnson's production as a receiver, popularity during his peak and career records helped "Ochocinco" become the fifth-best Bengal of all time.
4. Ken Riley, DB
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Former defensive back Ken Riley is not only the best defensive back in Bengals history, but also the best defender. With 65 career interceptions, Riley ranks first in Bengals history, 32 interceptions ahead of the next closest Bengal (Louis Breeden, 33 interceptions).
Riley also ranks fifth all-time in career interceptions, and he is only one of two players in the NFL's Top 10 career interceptions leaders to record every interception for the same team. Finally, Riley has donned the stripes more than any other Bengal in history, playing a total of 207 games.
Despite his success, Ken Riley has never gained the national recognition that he deserves; the defensive back was never voted to a Pro Bowl and has yet to be voted into the Hall of Fame, despite being one of five NFL defenders in history to record at least 65 career interceptions.
Although Riley was clearly not the most popular Bengal of all time, his career accomplishments and his several franchise records make Riley the fourth-greatest Bengal overall and the best Bengals defender of all time.
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3. Boomer Esiason, QB
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Boomer Esiason is widely known as one of the best left-handed quarterbacks of all time. Although Esiason also played four seasons with the New York Jets and a season with the Arizona Cardinals, Esiason's 10 years with the Bengals were widely regarded as the best in his career.
Esiason, a four-time Pro Bowler, led the Bengals to their second Super Bowl during an era that was regarded as one of the best in Bengals history. Esiason's best season came in 1988, the year that he guided the Bengals to the Super Bowl; Esiason was the NFL's most valuable player in 1988 and was a broken pass away from guiding Cincinnati to its first and only Super Bowl victory.
Esiason's career accomplishments include 37,920 passing yards and 247 touchdown passes, the most by a left-handed quarterback in history. Boomer's 247 touchdown passes also land him at 16th in NFL history. His 27,149 passing yards for Cincinnati are the second most in Bengals franchise history, and he is one of only two Bengals to ever be the NFL's Most Valuable Player.
In addition, Esiason's three playoff victories are the most ever by a Bengals quarterback. Boomer's performance in Super Bowl XXIII makes a strong argument that he should be the best Bengals quarterback of all time, but I'm going to go ahead and say that his predecessor deserves to be the next man on this list.
2. Ken Anderson, QB
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The longest-tenured quarterback in Bengals history, Ken Anderson played a total of 192 games for Cincinnati, starting 172 of those games over 16 seasons. Although Ken Riley played in more games, Anderson holds the record for most seasons played in Cincinnati.
Ken Anderson's 32,838 passing yards and 197 touchdowns are the most in Bengals history. Anderson led the Bengals to a 91-81-0 record during his tenure and guided Cincinnati to the playoffs in four seasons. Just like Boomer Esiason, Ken Anderson made the Pro Bowl four times, he was a one-time MVP (in 1981) and he led Cincinnati to a Super Bowl.
Anderson and Esiason were both great quarterbacks, but Ken Anderson has the edge over Esiason due to his career statistics in Cincinnati. Although Esiason won more playoff games, has more career passing yards and came closer to winning a Super Bowl for Cincinnati, Anderson's longer tenure in Cincinnati gives him a bigger advantage.
Anderson has the most passing yards, touchdowns and wins by a Bengals quarterback, and no one has even come close to matching these numbers since Anderson's retirement.
1. Anthony Munoz, OT
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While there's been debate between two quarterbacks to decide the greatest quarterback in Bengals history, there is no debate behind naming Anthony Munoz the greatest Bengal of all time.
In fact, both of those aforementioned quarterbacks have Munoz to thank for their success, as he spent a part of his career protecting each of them.
Anthony Munoz anchored the Bengals offensive line for 13 years during a period that most call the best era of Bengals football; Munoz was one of seven Bengals to play in both of Cincinnati's Super Bowl runs. Munoz' tenure lasted a total of 185 games, and he started 183 of those. He even caught four touchdown passes from the left tackle position.
Munoz' ability to protect the quarterback and dominate the defensive line in the running game earned him 11 Pro Bowl nods, nine All-Pro recognitions and a Hall of Fame induction. Although three former Bengals have been inducted to the Hall of Fame, Munoz is really the only Bengals player to earn the nod, as Mike Brown was inducted as a coach and Charlie Joiner spent the majority of his career outside of Cincinnati.
Munoz is the consensus greatest Bengal ever due to the longevity of his career, his 11 Pro Bowl nods, his participation in both of Cincinnati's Super Bowl runs and, of course, by his Hall of Fame induction.
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