The List: Experts’ Selected List of the Best Bengals Players…

1. Munoz Anthony..

Anthony Munoz, the famous player, is without a doubt the greatest player in Bengals franchise history. Considered by many to be among the greatest offensive linemen in NFL history, Munoz is without a doubt the greatest player to ever wear orange and black in Cincinnati.

“There’s no question who the greatest player in Bengals history is: Anthony Munoz. Through the Munoz Foundation, Munoz’s influence is still seen throughout the Cincinnati region. His achievements on the field are as amazing. Between 1980 and 1992, Munoz started 183 out of 185 games for Cincinnati. He is fifth in Bengals history with 185 games played. Bleacher Report states, “He led an offensive line that qualified for the 1988 Super Bowl and was successful enough to earn 11 straight Pro Bowl selections from 1981 to 1991.

The truth is that Munoz may be the best left tackle in NFL history. He was a baseball player for the University of Southern California (USC), where he played for his college team. The large man jogged three to four kilometers every day to help keep himself in football shape, demonstrating the famous work ethic of Munoz.

Between 1980 and 1992, Munoz started 183 of 185 games for Cincinnati. He is fifth in Bengals history with 185 games played. In addition to playing well enough to earn 11 straight Pro Bowl selections from 1981 to 1991, he led an offensive line that was selected to the Super Bowl in both 1981 and 1988. The Grueling Truth continues, “This was an obvious choice for number one. He may be the most dominant offensive lineman in NFL history and the only Bengals inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Munoz played for the Bengals for 13 years and missed only 3 games because of injuries. He was an incredible football player, really. Munoz won the NFL Man of the Year award in 1991 for his community service, but his greatest accomplishments were off the football field. The Munoz Scholarship is still given to students in the Cincinnati area.

In 1998, Muñoz was included in the National Football League’s 75th Anniversary Team and inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was listed as the seventeenth best football player of all time by Sporting News in 1999. He was the offensive lineman with the highest ranking. Again the highest-ranked offensive lineman, Muñoz was voted No. 12 on the NFL Network’s The Top 100: NFL’s Greatest Players list in 2010. Until someone else demonstrates they are better deserving of the title, Munoz will go down in Bengals history as the team’s greatest player, says Cincy Jungle.

2. Ken Anderson..

Ken Anderson is ranked second on the list of the greatest players in Bengals franchise history. He was one of the most adored sportsmen in Cincinnati sports history and the team’s first truly outstanding quarterback.

Ken Anderson played for Cincinnati from 1971 to 1986, when Esiason replaced him as the main quarterback. After assuming the starting position in 1972, Anderson was a huge success for the squad. Anderson passed for 3,754 yards and 29 touchdowns in the 1981 campaign. Even if the Bengals didn’t win the Super Bowl, he is considered the greatest quarterback in team history because he guided the team to its first one. Anderson received the 1981 squad MVP award for his services. With a 91-81 record, Anderson concluded his career in Cincinnati. Clutch Points says, “He passed for 32,838 yards and 197 touchdowns.

Although Anderson wasn’t the fastest runner, he had exceptional passing accuracy and could scramble if necessary. These characteristics made Anderson a successful member of the West Coast Offense. Anderson was obviously a natural since the West Coast Offense, which was created by the late Bill Walsh, a former quarterbacks coach in Cincinnati and famed 49ers coach, depends on short, accurate passing.

“The Bengals selected Anderson 67th overall in the 1971 NFL Draft, and he was named the starting quarterback in 1972. He was a very successful rusher of the ball for a quarterback and would go on to become one of the league’s most accurate short-range passers ever. Anderson was among the first quarterbacks to run the “West Coast Offense,” under the direction of Bill Walsh, his quarterbacks coach. A standout performance of his early career was in a 1975 Monday Night Football matchup with the Buffalo Bills. In that game, the Bengals won 33-24, with Anderson throwing for a franchise-high 447 yards while accumulating a franchise-high 553 offensive yards. Cincy Jungle notes, “It was the Bengals’ first-ever victory in a Monday night game.

Anderson was a key member of the Bengals’ winning squads on primetime Monday Night Football and in their first Super Bowl victory. It’s safe to argue that Anderson had a significant influence on the Bengals’ rise to prominence in the NFL. But his influence on Cincinnati extended well beyond the football field.

The league leader in passing yards twice, passer rating four times, and completion percentage three times was the 1975 NFL Man of the Year. In 2021, Anderson was selected for Cincinnati’s first Ring of Honor Class. Throughout his career, he was among the league’s top passers. According to Sportsskeeda, “The two-time All-Pro was a major factor in Cincinnati’s 1981 Super Bowl debut.”

3. Esiason Boomer..

Boomer Esiason is the next player on the list of the greatest in Bengals history. Even though he had enormous shoes to fill after the illustrious signal-caller Ken Anderson, Esiason lived up to Cincinnati’s expectations.

“Most teams don’t often produce two outstanding quarterbacks in quick succession, but the Bengals succeeded in doing so. In 1984, with Anderson nearing the end of his career, Boomer Esiason was selected by the Bengals in the second round. Esiason started for the Bengals as quarterback in 1984, 1992, and 1997. Similar to Anderson, he would lead the team to the Super Bowl and win one MVP award, but the 49ers would triumph. For the Bengals, Esiason amassed 27,139 passing yards and 187 touchdowns, according to Fox News.

For the record, that was the team’s second Super Bowl defeat at the hands of the legendary Joe Montana and the San Francisco 49ers; certainly nothing to be ashamed of. In Cincinnati, Esiason played winning football despite the loss in the Super Bowl.

“The offensive coordinator for the Bengals during their most prosperous era in the team’s history, Esiason won the 1988 NFL MVP award before directing the group to a Super Bowl appearance. Esiason still owns the team record most passing yards in a single game (490 against the Rams in 1990), and he concluded his Bengals career as the second-best passer in team history (27,149), according to Chat Sports.

Esiason’s weekly participation on the CBS NFL pregame program is how most football fans nowadays are familiar with him. But NFL fans remembered him as one of the best quarterbacks in football in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

“Esiason had a quarterback rating of 81.1 during his professional football career, with 37,920 passing yards and 247 touchdowns accomplished. In addition, Esiason shared the coveted distinction of being selected NFL Man of the Year for his community efforts off the field, alongside Munoz and Anderson who came before him on the list. Rookie Road continues, “After his NFL career, Esiason went on to have a very successful career in television broadcasting.

4. Johnson Chad..

There is no need to introduce the next guy on the list of the greatest players in Bengals history: Chad Johnson, also known as Chad Ochocinco. There’s no denying that Johnson is one of the greatest wide receivers in football history, even though he may be most remembered for his touchdown celebrations.

There was always going to be a show when Chad Johnson took the field. Johnson’s touchdown dances are what people remember him for, but that’s only because he found that area of the field so often. Between his time on the team from 2001 to 2010, Johnson caught 751 receptions for 10,783 yards and 66 touchdowns. In 2003, he had his greatest season with 90 receptions for 1,355 yards and 10 touchdowns. Clutch Points says, “There’s no denying he’s one of the most gifted players to play for Cincinnati, but his attitude at the conclusion of his time with the Bengals turned some fans against him.

Even if Johnson came clean about his management and coaching mistakes towards the end of his career, at least he was driven. Johnson was one of the league’s top receivers when he was having a good time and scoring touchdowns. Almost all of the team’s key receiving records are held by Johnson.

“For years, Chad was a beast on the gridiron in Cincinnati, despite his problems off the field. By more than 3,000 yards, Chad’s 10,783 receiving yards are the most in Bengals history. His 66 touchdowns are first in franchise history, and his six Pro Bowl appearances tie for second. Bleacher Report states that Chad the football player was entertaining to watch and deserving of the title of best Bengal of all time.

For most of his career, Johnson had the good fortune to play alongside quarterback Carson Palmer. Palmer isn’t on this list, but he was more than capable of passing the ball to Johnson when it mattered most. Palmer and Johnson together made up one of the NFL’s best quarterback-wide out tandems.

Although his ‘look at me’ attitude may polarize traditionalists and the younger NFL fan base, there’s no doubting how amazing he was in the orange and black of the Bengals. According to Chat Sports, Chad’s 10,783 receiving yards are more than 3,000 yards longer than the next closest Bengals opponent. His 66 receiving touchdowns also stand as franchise records.

5. Ken Riley..

Legendary defensive back Ken Riley completes the list of the greatest Bengals players of all time. Riley was exceptional at reading quarterbacks, making him the best cover corner Bengals fans have ever seen.

“The Bengals have never had a better defensive player than Ken Riley. The defensive back was chosen by the team in the sixth round of the 1969 draft. Riley was a 15-year Bengals player and a master at interceptions. Riley had at least two interceptions in 14 of his 15 seasons. He recorded three or more interceptions in twelve of his fifteen seasons. Nine interceptions in 1976, one of which was recovered for a touchdown, according to Fox News.

Riley’s debut campaign was among the best in Bengals history. It was clear from the beginning that he had figured out a way to reach the football while it was in the air.

Riley’s conversion from quarterback to the position of quarterback was chosen by Cincinnati head coach Paul Brown when Riley reported to training camp.