29. NFL All-Time Power Rankings: Cincinnati Bengals
- Established: 1968
- Playoff Appearances: 14
- Division Titles: 9
- MVPs: 2 (Ken Anderson in 1981 and Boomer Esiason in 1988)
- Hall of Famers: 1
- Championship Game Appearances: 2
- Super Bowl Appearances: 2 (1981, 1988)
- Legacy Points: 32
The oldest franchise we’ve hit to date is the Bengals, who land here thanks to long stretches of ineptitude. Cincinnati had a bit of success in the early 1970s and reached two Super Bowls in the 1980s behind a pair of MVP performances from Ken Anderson and Boomer Esiason, but the franchise has been a bottom feeder for most of its history.
There was a renaissance for Cincinnati when Marvin Lewis took over as head coach, making the franchise respectable by guiding the Bengals to six playoff appearances in 11 years, including four AFC North titles. The Bengals haven’t gotten back to the playoffs since 2015, however, although there is hope that Joe Burrow can be the long-awaited franchise quarterback Cincinnati fans have been hoping for.
There also haven’t been too many iconic Bengals over the course of NFL history with offensive tackle Anthony Munoz being the franchise’s only Hall of Famer. Burrow has a chance to be special but the current-day Bengals need to protect him better if they want a chance to progress up this list.