The Cincinnati Bengals have been fortunate to have some great quarterbacks during their 50+ years as an organization. Six of their former quarterbacks have thrown for over 10,000 yards and, on some teams, would find themselves higher on the list of all-time passing yards.
Let’s take a look at the Bengals’ passing leaders.
Editor’s Note — This article was originally written and published in June 2021. The most recent update was in January 2023.
Cincinnati Bengals All-Time Passing Leaders – No. 15: Greg Cook (1,865)
Bengals Quarterback from 1969-1973
In 1969, the Bengals were entering their second year in the NFL and found their quarterback with the No. 5 overall pick in that year’s draft. They went with Cincinnati’s own Greg Cook, who grew up in Ohio and played for the Bearcats collegiately.
There was a lot to like about Cook during his college years and he put up big numbers when you take into consideration how different the game was back then. The Bengals decided to move on from John Stofa, their quarterback in their inaugural season and moved onto the Greg Cook era.
Unfortunately, the Cook era never really came to be, as shoulder injuries plagued what could have been a promising career for the Ohio native. He started 11 games as a rookie in 1969 while throwing for 1,854 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions but then wasn’t able to start again until 1973 because of how severe his injury was.
When it was all said and done, Cook’s career was a disappointment but Bengals fans who were alive to watch him play always wondered what could have been.
Cincinnati Bengals All-Time Passing Leaders – No. 14: Ryan Fitzpatrick (1,905)
Bengals Quarterback from 2007-2008
Before he was dubbed “Fitzmagic” by NFL pundits everywhere, Ryan Fitzpatrick was a member of the Bengals for two seasons. It was his second NFL team after he spent the first two years of his career with the Rams and the Harvard alum was hoping to pack a punch in the Bengals offense.
While Fitzpatrick isn’t known for his Bengals days, he did see the field quite a bit, mostly in the 2008 season after Carson Palmer was injured. Fitzpatrick started 12 games in 2008 and threw for 1,905 yards, eight touchdowns, and nine interceptions. The Bengals went 4-7-1 in those games.
He might not have been menacing as a passer but Fitzpatrick showed off what he could do with his legs, rushing for 304 yards and two touchdowns during that 2008 campaign. The Bills saw enough of Fitzpatrick that they signed him after the 2008 season wrapped up and since then, as we all know, Fitzpatrick has been the prime journeyman in the NFL.
People might forget that Ryan Fitzpatrick was once with the Bengals but Cincinnati gave him the first true shot to show what he could do as an NFL quarterback.
Cincinnati Bengals All-Time Passing Leaders – No. 13: Jack Thompson (2,072)
Bengals Quarterback from 1979-1982
The Bengals held the No. 3 overall pick in the 1979 NFL Draft and selected Washington State quarterback Jack Thompson, also known as the “Throwin’ Samoa”. Thompson threw for 2,333 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions during his senior season with the Cougars in 1978 and set many school records during his time there.
Thompson disappointed in the NFL, throwing for just 2,072 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions in his four years with the Bengals. He was on the 1981 team that went to the Super Bowl but didn’t start a single game that year but appeared in eight while throwing for 267 yards, one touchdown, and two picks.
After it was clear that Thompson wasn’t the franchise quarterback, the Bengals parted ways with him and he finished his NFL career with the Buccaneers until he was out of the league following the 1984 season.
The Bengals had high hopes for Thompson but those never came to be. The former No. 3 overall pick in the 1979 NFL Draft barely threw for over 2,000 yards and was not the guy the Bengals thought they were getting when they made him the third overall pick.
Cincinnati Bengals All-Time Passing Leaders – No. 12: Akili Smith (2,212)
Bengals Quarterback from 1999-2002
Akili Smith is a name that every Bengals fan knows but it’s not for a good reason. After a tremendous season at Oregon, the Bengals took Smith with the No. 3 overall pick in the 1999 NFL Draft, making him the third straight quarterback taken, as Tim Couch and Donovan McNabb went before him.
Smith was definitely a gamble, as he’d only had one successful season with the Ducks. The Bengals ignored the warning signs, however, and made him their No. 3 overall pick and the result was a disastrous one. Smith played only 22 games through four years while making 17 starts. Quarterback records aren’t always noted but a 3-14 record for a No. 3 draft choice is atrocious.
After four years at the helm, Smith threw for just 2,212 yards, five touchdown passes, and 13 interceptions and unsurprisingly is considered one of the biggest draft busts of all time. The Bengals obviously expected more from Smith but ended up benching him in 2000 due to poor play. He rode the bench for his final two years in Cincinnati.
Smith was so bad that he couldn’t even crack the Bengals’ top 10 passing yards list despite being with the organization for four seasons. Yikes.
Cincinnati Bengals All-Time Passing Leaders – No. 11: Neil O’Donnell (2,216)
Bengals Quarterback in 1998
The fact that Neil O’Donnell played for the Bengals for just one season and is just outside the top 10 on this list shows the quarterback woes Cincinnati has had during their history. O’Donnell might have only spent one year in Cincinnati, but he had a long NFL career with the last few years being spent as a backup.
The first seven years of his career, O’Donnell played for the Steelers and Jets. The Steelers took him in the third round of the 1990 NFL Draft and he started for them for five years before moving onto the Jets for two seasons.
During O’Donnell’s one year with the Bengals, which was in 1998, he tossed for 2,216 yards, 15 touchdowns, and four interceptions through 13 games. He went 2-9 as a starter and was out of Cincy at the end of the season.
O’Donnell spent the final five years of his career with the Titans, mostly as a backup. He was out of the NFL after the 2003 season but that was after 13 years in the league, which is impressive staying in the league that long.
Cincinnati Bengals All-Time Passing Leaders – No. 10: Turk Schonert (2,756)
Bengals Quarterback from 1981-1989
Turk Schonert was a ninth-round pick in the 1980 NFL Draft by the Bears but didn’t play a single down for them. He ended up in Cincinnati in 1981 and remained there for eight of his nine seasons in the NFL.
Schonert was a perennial backup during his NFL years and was the ultimate backup for the Bengals during his eight years there. He started just seven games for them and appeared in a whopping 64 total games.
From 1981-1985, Schonert made six starts and went 4-2 when called upon to take the reigns. He signed with Atlanta in 1986 and spent one year there before returning to Cincinnati for the final three years of his career.
When it was all said and done, Schonert had thrown for 2,756 yards, seven touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Despite being a career backup, he’s in the top 10 of Bengals’ passing yards but he’ll likely be getting passed by Joe Burrow after this year.
Cincinnati Bengals All-Time Passing Leaders – No. 9: Virgil Carter (3,850)
Bengals Quarterback from 1970-1972
Virgil Carter, also known as “The Blue Darter”, was a sixth-round pick by the Bears in the 1967 NFL Draft and spent two years there until he was traded to Cincinnati following the 1969 season. Carter went 7-4 as a starter in 1970 but it wasn’t good enough to stave off Ken Anderson in the 1971 season.
Carter was demoted to backup in 1972, which was the final year he spent in Cincinnati. He finished his Bengals career throwing for 3,850 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions and his passing yards still are good for eighth all-time in passing yards for the franchise.
After he suffered a broken collarbone in 1974, Carter was sent to San Diego where he played in one game in 1975 and then finished his career with Chicago, the team who drafted him. He called it a career after the 1976 season and even though he hasn’t taken a snap with the Bengals in over 50 years, he’s still in the top 10 on this list. That’s pretty impressive.
Cincinnati Bengals All-Time Passing Leaders – No. 8: David Klingler (3,880)
Bengals Quarterback from 1992-1995
After an electric career at Houston, the Bengals saw enough in David Klingler to make him the No. 6 overall pick in the 1992 NFL Draft. Like some of the other first-round quarterbacks who have appeared on this list, Klingler did not pan out and is arguably one of the Bengals’ biggest draft busts.
Klingler was the Bengals’ starter in his second and third seasons but failed to lock down the job. Once a shoulder injury prevented him from heaving the ball down the field, Klingler was pretty much destined to be a backup for the rest of his career.
He lost the starting job to Jeff Blake in 1995 and tried to make his career work as a backup. He managed to stay in the league until 1997, which he spent with the Raiders but that was it for him.
Klinger’s four years with the Bengals saw him throw for 3,880 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 21 interceptions through 30 games. In 24 starts, Klingler won just four games with three of those coming in the 1993 season. He went 0-7 as a starter in 1994, which was the final nail in his coffin as far as being a starter went.
Cincinnati Bengals All-Time Passing Leaders – No. 7: Jon Kitna (10,707)
Bengals Quarterback from 2001-2005
Jon Kitna is a feel-good story, as he went undrafted in 1997 out of Central Washington and eventually made a name for himself in Seattle during his third year. He was impressive enough that after the 2000 season, the Bengals signed him to a five-year deal and expected him to be their starting quarterback.
Kitna delivered, beating out Scott Mitchell for the starting job and holding onto the gig for the first three years of his deal. The Bengals were terrible during the 2002 season, winning only two games but Kitna threw for over 3,100 yards and 16 touchdowns though he also threw 16 picks.
The Bengals took Carson Palmer No. 1 overall in the following draft and normally when a quarterback is taken No. 1 overall, they’re the guy from Day 1. This wasn’t the case in Cincinnati though, as the Bengals let Kitna start all 16 games during Palmer’s rookie season and Kitna played well, throwing for over 3,600 yards and 26 touchdowns.
His performance that season wasn’t enough to save his job, however, and he was relegated to backup duties in 2004 and 2005.
Kitna threw for 10,707 yards, 59 touchdowns, and 59 interceptions in his five years with the Bengals. The interception numbers aren’t great but he was a dependable veteran who was with the Bengals during some tough times.
Cincinnati Bengals All-Time Passing Leaders – No. 6: Joe Burrow (11,774)
Bengals Quarterback from 2020-Present
When I first put this list together, Joe Burrow was No. 10 all-time in passing yards despite only being in the league for a year. After a very impressive sophomore season that saw Burrow and his Bengals make it all the way to the Super Bowl, he’s climbed into the No. 7 spot on the list and after reaching the AFC title game in year three, he's climbed to No. 6.
Let’s take it back to the beginning though.
After a magical season at LSU in 2019 that ended with Burrow and the Tigers celebrating in the locker room with cigars, he was a no-brainer pick with the first overall draft choice, a distinguished honor that the Bengals held after a nightmare season. Burrow won the Heisman Trophy and was enjoying the best season a college quarterback has ever had while the Bengals won just two games.
In year one, Burrow looked solid but an injury ended his promising rookie season. He came back stronger in year two, throwing for 4,611 yards (a single-season high for the Bengals organization) and 34 touchdowns compared to 14 interceptions.
Burrow changed the narrative surrounding the Cincinnati Bengals and it’s clear this team has their franchise quarterback. Both seasons that he's been fully healthy has resulted in the Bengals reaching the AFC title game. They haven't won the Super Bowl yet but you have to think it's coming as long as Burrow is the QB.
If I'm trying to predict where Burrow is on this list after the 2023 season, I'd say he climbs into the top 5.
Cincinnati Bengals All-Time Passing Leaders – No. 5: Jeff Blake (15,134)
Bengals Quarterback from 1994-1999
A sixth-round pick by the Jets in the 1992 NFL Draft, Jeff Blake found his way to Cincinnati in 1994 and spent the next six years as their starting quarterback after he beat out David Klingler for the job. Blake never led the Bengals to a winning season during that time but put up respectable numbers and started in every game in both 1995 and 1996, proving how durable he was.
Boomer Esiason returned to Cincinnati in 1997 for a second stint and took over for Blake in the final five games of the season. Blake stayed with the team for two more years after that but after the team took Akili Smith third overall in 1999, it was clear that Blake’s days were numbered.
Blake finished his six-year tenure with the Bengals totaling 15,134 yards, 93 touchdowns, and 62 interceptions. He also was a threat with his legs, rushing for 1,499 yards and 10 scores.
Blake made it to one Pro Bowl during his career and it came as a member of the Bengals in 1995, just his third year in the league. That season saw Blake throw for 3,822 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions while rushing for 309 yards and two touchdowns.
After the Bengals parted ways with Blake, he had pitstops with the Saints, Ravens, Cardinals, Eagles, and Bears before calling it a career following the 2005 season. Blake might not have been the star that the guys ahead of him on this list were but his numbers are still good enough to put him in the top five in Bengals passing yards.
Cincinnati Bengals All-Time Passing Leaders – No. 4: Carson Palmer (22,694)
Bengals Quarterback from 2004-2010
The Bengals weren’t good in the 2003 season and that led to them holding the No. 1 overall pick. Fortunately, it was a good year to have the top pick in the draft, as Carson Palmer was coming off a prolific season at USC that saw him throwing for 3,942 yards, 33 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions and winning the Heisman Trophy.
Palmer was the pick and unlike most No. 1 overall picks, he sat on the bench during his rookie season, as Jon Kitna held onto the job for the entire year. Palmer got the go-ahead to start in 2004 and didn’t relinquish the job until his time in Cincinnati came to an end.
During that time, Palmer threw for 22,694 yards, 154 touchdowns, and 100 interceptions through 97 starts. He made the Pro Bowl in 2005 and 2006 after posting impressive numbers in each of those two seasons.
Unfortunately, the Bengals didn’t surround Palmer with great teams during his time with the organization and that led to the breakup between the two sides. He refused to play for them after a rough 2010 season and demanded to be traded.
After the Bengals took Andy Dalton in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft and he showed promise during his rookie season, Cincinnati realized they could part ways with Palmer and be okay. So, naturally, Palmer was sent to Oakland for the next chapter of his career.
Palmer played for the Raiders for two years and finished his career with the Cardinals (where he spent five years), eventually retiring after the 2017 season.
Cincinnati Bengals All-Time Passing Leaders – No. 3: Boomer Esiason (27,149)
Bengals Quarterback from 1984-1997
Boomer Esiason’s name has already been mentioned a few times as we’ve worked our way up this list and now we finally come to his entry. He’s currently third all-time in passing yards for the Bengals.
The second-round pick out of Maryland was the first quarterback taken in the 1984 NFL Draft and looking back, it’s wild to think that he was still there for the taking at pick No. 38. Cincinnati was happy to take him even though they still had Ken Anderson on their roster.
He rotated with Anderson and Tuck Schonert for the starting job as a rookie but from then on, it was his job to lose. Esiason’s first full year as a starter came in 1986 when he threw for 3,959 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions, enough to land him a trip to the Pro Bowl.
Two years later, Esiason had the best year of his Bengals career, tossing for 3,572 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 14 picks, which earned him league MVP honors. This was the last time a Bengal has won the award and it was well-deserved for Esiason.
One of the greatest teams in Bengals history were led by Esiason and it was cool when he re-signed with the team in 1997 to give it one last shot. After 10 seasons with the team that drafted him, Esiason finished his career with 27,149 yards, 187 touchdowns, and 131 interceptions. His numbers still are good enough to keep him in the top three all-time.
Cincinnati Bengals All-Time Passing Leaders – No. 2: Andy Dalton (31,594)
Bengals Quarterback from 2011-2019
With Palmer’s future in Cincinnati up in the air, the Bengals decided to do what was best for them and select a quarterback in the 2011 NFL Draft. That quarterback was Andy Dalton, who was coming off a prolific season at TCU and became the Bengals’ second-round pick as a result.
Dalton was the Bengals’ starting quarterback from Day 1 and played so well as a rookie that the team felt comfortable trading Palmer to the Raiders. Dalton went on to hold the starting job for the next nine years and started all 16 games for the first four years of his career.
Dalton started off hot in Cincinnati, leading the Bengals to the playoffs in each of his first five seasons but he and the team failed to secure a win in any of those appearances. After that, things went downhill for Dalton and the Bengals, as injuries began to take their toll a little more and the 2019 season was it for the Red Rifle in Cincinnati.
The Bengals won just two games and had the top pick in the following draft where they took Joe Burrow. Dalton was released and eventually landed with the Cowboys and later the Bears.
When it was all said and done, Dalton threw for 31,594 yards, 204 touchdowns, and 118 interceptions through 133 starts. He never got the respect he deserved throughout the rest of the league but Bengals fans will always be grateful for Dalton and what he did for this organization.
Cincinnati Bengals All-Time Passing Leaders – No. 1: Ken Anderson (32,838)
Bengals Quarterback from 1971-1986
In the third round of the 1971 NFL Draft, the Bengals found their starting quarterback for the next 16 years with the selection of Ken Anderson out of Augustana. Anderson split time with Virgil Carter the first two years of his time in Cincinnati but then became the unquestioned starter from 1973 and on.
Anderson made it to four Pro Bowls and was named All-Pro once throughout his 16-year career. He spent his entire NFL career with the Bengals and led them to the Super Bowl in the 1981 season, which was his All-Pro season. During that year, Anderson had 3,754 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 10 picks, which were huge numbers at the time.
After 16 years with the team that drafted him, Anderson retired. He still leads the Bengals in passing yards with 32,838 yards, 197 touchdowns, and 160 interceptions and was a threat running the ball too, tallying 2,220 yards and 20 rushing touchdowns.
While yes, playing for the team for 16 years has helped him stay atop the leader board, Anderson was a darn good quarterback. There’s a reason he stayed with the same team for his entire career.
No one is surprised to see Ken Anderson at the top of the list and it’ll take quite some time before anyone is able to pass him.