Best Cincinnati Bengals Players of All Time

Although the Cincinnati Bengals are one of 12 current NFL teams to never win a Super Bowl, they've featured plenty of all-time great players throughout their 50-plus year history.

Even so, it begs the question: who are the best Cincinnati Bengals players of all time?

That's what we'll look to figure out here. With a little statistical help from Sports Reference, let's sift through the best Cincinnati Bengals players of all time.

Best Cincinnati Bengals Players All Time

Here are the top 10 Cincinnati Bengals players of all time by Sports Reference's Approximate Value (AV):

Let's run through some of the top names.

1. Anthony Munoz (1980-1992)

Offensive tackle Anthony Munoz is the greatest Cincinnati Bengals player of all time, and he has the resume to back it up. The Hall of Fame lineman spent all 13 years of his NFL career with the Bengals after being selected No. 3 overall in the 1980 NFL draft. Following a so-so rookie year, Munoz earned First Team All-Pro honors in his second season and never looked back. He was named First or Second Team All Pro in 11 straight seasons from 1981 to 1992, making the Pro Bowl every year during this stretch. He finished as a nine-time First Team All Pro -- tied for the second-most of any offensive lineman in NFL history.

Anthony Munoz Accomplishments

• Hall of Fame (Class of 1998)
• 11-time Pro Bowl
• 9-time First Team All Pro
• Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year (1991)

2. Ken Anderson (1971-1986)

Quarterback Ken Anderson finished his career as the Bengals' all-time leading passer -- a title he holds to this day. Anderson spent all 16 professional seasons in Cincinnati, during which he won 91 games -- 21 more than the next-closest Bengals quarterback. Though Anderson's career had some up and downs, there's no arguing with his peak. He won league MVP in 1981, throwing for 3,754 yards 29 touchdowns. Anderson led the league in completion percentage three times and passing yards twice.

Ken Anderson Accomplishments

• 4-time Pro Bowl
• First Team All-Pro (1981)
• MVP (1981)
• Offensive Player of the Year (1981)
• Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year (1975)

3. Ken Riley (1969-1983)

Defensive back Ken Riley is the top defensive player on this list of best Bengals players of all time -- and for good reason. Riley's 202 career starts are the most by a defensive player in franchise history. His 65 interceptions not only are the most by a Bengals player; they're tied for fifth in NFL history. Though Riley never made a Pro Bowl, he was named to three All-Pro teams.

Ken Riley Accomplishments

• Hall of Fame (2023)
• First Team All-Pro (1983)
• 2-time Second Team All-Pro

4. Willie Anderson (1996-2007)

Offensive lineman Willie Anderson spent 12 of his 13 NFL seasons in Cincinnati upon being selected No. 10 overall in the 1996 NFL draft. He was one of the franchise's most consistent players for the better part of his career, appearing in 174 of a possible 176 games from 1996 to 2006. Anderson spent the bulk of his career at right tackle and was named a First Team All-Pro in three consecutive seasons from 2004 to 2006

Willie Anderson Accomplishments

• 4-time Pro Bowl
• 3-time First Team All-Pro
• Second Team All-Pro (2003)

5. Boomer Esiason (1984-1997)

Long before he became an NFL analyst and frequent guest on FanDuel TV's Up & Adams, Boomer Esiason was an all-time great quarterback for the Bengals. Boomer spent the first 10 years of his professional career with the Bengals, putting together a rock-solid six-year peak from 1985 to 1990 in which he averaged 3,475.2 passing yards and 24.5 passing touchdowns per season. He won league MVP in '88, leading Cincinnati to a 12-4 record while tossing 28 touchdowns.

Boomer Esiason Accomplishments

• 4-time Pro Bowl
• First Team All-Pro (1988)
• MVP (1988)

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