Cincinnati Bengals

Lore & Background

Former Cleveland Browns head coach Paul Brown began planning for the creation of the Bengals franchise in 1965, and Cincinnati's city council approved the construction of Riverfront Stadium in 1966. Finally, in 1967, the Bengals were founded when a group headed by Brown received franchise approval by the American Football League (AFL) on May 23, 1967, and they began play in the 1968 season. Brown was the Bengals' head coach from their inception to an unspecified date. After being dismissed as the Browns' head coach by Art Modell in an unspecified year, Brown showed interest in establishing another NFL franchise in Ohio and chose Cincinnati when a deal between the city, Hamilton County, and Major League Baseball's Cincinnati Reds resulted in an agreement to build a multipurpose stadium. Due to the impending merger of the AFL and the NFL, Brown agreed to join the AFL as its 10th and final franchise. The Bengals won the AFC championship in unspecified years and lost Super Bowls XVI and XXIII to the San Francisco 49ers. The team struggled in the 1990s and early 2000s, sometimes called 'The Bungles.' The turning point was the 2021 season, when they won their first playoff game in 31 years, advanced to Super Bowl LVI, and lost to the Los Angeles Rams 23–20. They advanced to the AFC Championship game again in 2022 but lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 23–20.

In Their Own Story

The air inside Paycor Stadium was electric as the Bengals took an early lead, securing their first win against Jacksonville. The momentum shifted violently in the second quarter when Joe Burrow went down with a Grade 3 turf toe injury. Backup Jake Browning entered the game to finish the contest, preserving the victory and earning the trust of head coach Zac Taylor. Despite this initial success, the loss of Burrow proved costly. The team struggled significantly without him, going 1–8 during his absence. Although Burrow underwent successful surgery on September 19, he did not return until Thanksgiving night in Week 13 against Baltimore. In that interim period, the Bengals relied heavily on Browning and later acquired Joe Flacco via trade from the Browns following a loss to Detroit, further illustrating the chaotic nature of their season.

Reader's Guide

The Bengals do not have an official general manager; Duke Tobin is the 'de facto general manager' because he handles most personnel decisions. The team's value as of August 2022 was $3 billion, ranked last in the NFL by Forbes.

Did You Know?

• The Bengals were named by Paul Brown to link the team with past professional football in Cincinnati; another Cincinnati Bengals team existed from 1937 to 1942.
• Paul Brown chose the exact shade of orange used by his former team, possibly as an insult to Art Modell or as a homage to the Massillon Tigers.
• The Bengals played their first two seasons at Nippert Stadium, home of the University of Cincinnati Bearcats.
• Running back Paul Robinson rushed for 1,023 yards in the team's first season and was named AFL Rookie of the Year.