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. 6 and No. 7 on the list with links to previous players revealed at the bottom:
No. 7: OL Andrew Whitworth
Years with Bengals: 2006-16
The Skinny: He was an extremely durable player who seemed to get better the older he got. He may be a candidate for the Pro Football Hall of Fame thanks to not only the time he played with the Bengals, but then the five seasons he played for the Los Angeles Rams after leaving.
He started 12 games as a rookie, mostly at left tackle, then started all 16 games at left guard in 2007 and all 10 games he was healthy at left guard in 2008.
Whitworth moved back to left tackle in 2009 and started all 104 games he was healthy until leaving as a free agent after the 2016 season when the Bengals couldn’t come to contract terms on an extension.
In 11 seasons with the Bengals he started 164 of the 168 games he played and missed only eight games due to injury.
He was selected to the AFC Pro Bowl team in 2012, 2015 and 2016, was a second team All-Pro selection in 2014 and was a first team All-Pro selection in 2015.
No. 6: WR A.J. Green
Years with Bengals: 2011-2020
The Skinny: He was one of the best wide receivers of his generation and an extremely consistent player until a toe injury cut his 2018 season short and an ankle injury suffered in training camp in 2019 caused him to miss the entire season.
Green was named to the AFC Pro Bowl team in each of his first seven seasons, six of which he exceeded 1,000 yards receiving. The only time in his first seven seasons he fell short of 1,000 yards came in 2016 when he had 964 yards in 10 games played before suffering a torn hamstring that ended his season. The 96.4 yards per game was a single-season career best.
His final season with the Bengals in 2020 he was a shell of his former great self and had 47 receptions for 523 yards.
He ranks second in franchise history in receptions (649), receiving yards (9,430) and touchdown receptions (65).
TOP 25 RELEASE SCHEDULE