CINCINNATI (WKRC) – The Bengals have played 25 seasons in Paycor Stadium since it opened in 2000 and with that as the backdrop I am subjectively counting down the top 25 players to play for the team in that time frame.
The only criteria is the player must have played at least three seasons for the team this century and their performance with the team is the only thing considered, not performance with other teams either prior to, or after, playing for the Bengals.
An alphabetical list of 25 other players considered will be revealed when the top 5 are unveiled on July 17.
Here are players who are ranked No. 8 and No. 9 on the list with links to previous players revealed at the bottom:
No. 9: RB Joe Mixon
Years with Bengals: 2017-2023
The Skinny: The Bengals were correct in my opinion to trade Mixon after the 2023 season rather than pay him, but that doesn’t take away from a very productive career that featured a couple of major highlight moments.
Mixon had four 1,000-yard rushing seasons, including a career-high 1,205 yards in 2021 when he earned his lone AFC Pro Bowl nod.
His 6,412 rushing yards ranks third in franchise history and his 66.1 rushing yards per game ranks fourth. He ranks second in team history in rushing touchdowns with 49.
He was also a solid receiver who finished with 283 career receptions, which ranks 17th overall in team history and third among running backs, and his 2,139 receiving yards ranks 23rd overall in franchise history and third among running backs.
He set a single-game franchise record with five touchdowns on Nov. 6, 2022 against the Carolina Panthers. The five touchdowns are tied for fourth most in a game in NFL history.
Mixon is also one of three Bengals players to throw a touchdown pass in a Super Bowl (Ken Anderson and Joe Burrow are the others, as Boomer Esiason did not throw one in Super Bowl XXIII) when he connected with Tee Higgins on a halfback option pass from six yards out for a score in Super Bowl LVI.
No. 8: DE Trey Hendrickson
Years with Bengals: 2021-Present
The Skinny: Arguably the best free agent signing in franchise history when he was inked prior to the 2021 season after four seasons with the New Orleans Saints, only one in which he was a full-time starter, and that was in his last season with the Saints in 2020.
He earned a spot on the AFC Pro Bowl team in each of his first four seasons with the Bengals, and this past season was selected first team All-Pro and finished second in the voting for NFL Defensive Player of the Year when he recorded an NFL-best 17.5 quarterback sacks.
It marked the second straight season he recorded 17.5 sacks, which is the single-season franchise record as sacks didn’t become an official NFL stat until 1982 (note: the team credits Coy Bacon with 22.0 sacks in 1976).
Based on the NFL criteria at the point sacks became an official stat, Hendrickson holds the top three spots on the single-season franchise record for sacks as he had 14.5 in 2021.
He ranks sixth in franchise history in sacks with 57.0, is third in quarterback hits with 112 and is tied for third in forced fumbles with 11.
TOP 25 RELEASE SCHEDULE