The Cincinnati Bengals have had some really great veterans during their franchise history. Let’s take a look at the six oldest players to don a Bengals uniform.
The NFL is a violent sport so it’s not surprising that as players age, they step away from the game, as the older players are, the worse injuries can be. The Cincinnati Bengals have never had a player over the age of 40 on their roster but a few have come close.
Here are the six oldest players in Bengals history.
6. Max Montoya, G (33.227 at the end of 1989 season)
Max Montoya is proof that high-end talent can come in the seventh round of drafts, as the Bengals selected him in the seventh and final round of the 1979 NFL Draft. Montoya played his college ball at UCLA and people probably didn’t expect him to turn into a four-time Pro Bowler.
That’s exactly what happened, however, as Montoya spent the first 11 of his 16-year career in Cincinnati as their right guard. He became the regular starter in the 1980 season — his second in the league — and never relinquished the starting right guard job until he left Cincinnati following the 1989 season.
During Montoya’s final game as a Bengal, which came on Christmas Day in 1989, he was 33 years and 227 days old. He signed with the Raiders before he turned 34 that May and spent the final five years of his NFL career with them, finally hanging up the cleats following the 1994 campaign.
Montoya’s 11-year Cincinnati career saw him make four Pro Bowls while also appearing at right guard in two Super Bowls for the franchise. He’s one of the oldest Bengals in the team’s history.
5. Anthony Muñoz, T (34.130 at the end of 1992 season)
Anthony Muñoz needs no introduction. The Bengals drafted him third overall in the 1980 NFL Draft and what followed was a 13-year career in the Queen City that earned Muñoz a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Muñoz spent all 13 years of his career with Cincinnati at the left tackle spot and he was dominant there. I mentioned how he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame (which happened in 1998) but he also made 11 Pro Bowls and was named All-Pro nine times during his career.
When Muñoz suited up for his final Bengals game on Dec. 27, 1992, he was 34 years and 130 days old, making him the fifth-oldest player in franchise history. During his prestigious career in the Queen City, Muñoz started in two Super Bowls, both of which were losses to the 49ers. He was a member of the Bengals’ inaugural Ring of Honor class in 2021.
Muñoz isn’t just the best offensive lineman in Bengals history but is considered to be one of the best offensive linemen in NFL history. It’s not surprising to see that he played well into his 30s.
4. Andrew Whitworth, T (35.020 at the end of 2016 season)
Yet another offensive lineman makes an appearance on the oldest players list and this time, it’s Andrew Whitworth. The Bengals spent a second-round pick on Whitworth in the 2006 NFL Draft after he had an impressive career at LSU. The LSU product went on to spend 11 years with the Bengals.
During his 11-year career, Whitworth was named to three Pro Bowls and earned one All-Pro honor. He’s made one more Pro Bowl and added another All-Pro honor to his belt since joining the Rams.
When Whitworth was in Cincinnati, he provided a reliable force at left tackle, not missing a single start in eight of 11 seasons in the Queen City. He was a fan favorite and it was a huge bummer when he left the organization following the 2016 season.
Whitworth, despite pushing 40, is still in the league only with the Rams, where he’s been since 2017. In his final game as a member of the Bengals, which happened on New Year’s Day of 2017, Whitworth was 35 years and 20 days old, making him the fourth oldest Bengal of all time.
3. Coy Bacon, DE/DT (35.110 at the end of 1977 season)
In 1976, Coy Bacon was sent to the Cincinnati Bengals in a trade. The Bengals parted with Charles Joiner — a trade that’s considered to be one of their worst of all-time — and received Bacon in return.
Bacon was already nine years into his career at the time of the trade, so it wasn’t hard for him to propel his way into the oldest Bengals ever category from Day 1. He might have only played for the stripes for two seasons but in his final game with them on Dec. 18, 1977, he was 35 years and 110 days old, giving him the honor for third-oldest Bengal ever.
While Bacon is mostly known for being the guy Cincinnati traded a future Hall of Famer for, he wasn’t a bad player for them by any means. He made it to the Pro Bowl both years and had 21.5 sacks in the 1976 season. While not as impressive, notched 5.5 sacks in what ended up being his final year as a Bengal in 1977.
Bacon finished out his career in Washington and hung up his cleats after the 1981 season finished up. He’s different from the rest of the guys on this list because he wasn’t drafted by the Bengals and only played for them for two seasons but he’s still the third-oldest player to ever wear a Bengals uniform.
2. Ken Riley, DB (36.133 at the end of 1983 season)
The final two guys on the list are two of the biggest Bengals legends so it’s fitting that they’re the two oldest members in the team’s history. Ken Riley is the second-oldest, playing his final game (Dec. 17, 1983) at 36 years and 133 days old.
Riley was drafted in the sixth round of the 1969 NFL Draft by the Bengals. What followed was a 15-year career with the team that drafted him. During that time, he was named All-Pro once, which happened in his final season in 1983 when he was 36 years old.
Riley was a member of the inaugural 2021 Ring of Honor class and fans are still hoping to see him get into the Hall of Fame someday. Unfortunately, he passed away before it happened.
When fans saw this article, they knew Riley would be high up on the list. He is indeed, still sitting as the second-oldest player to ever be in a Bengals uniform. The fact that he had his best season in his age 36 season shows how good Riley really was.
1. Ken Anderson, QB (37.204 at the end of 1986 season)
The oldest player to ever wear a Cincinnati Bengals uniform was Ken Anderson, who was 37 years and 204 days old when he took his final snap with the team who drafted him. Anderson was a third-round pick in the 1971 NFL Draft and went on to play his entire 16-year career in Cincinnati.
Anderson is the all-time passing yards leader for the Bengals, throwing for 32,838 yards and 197 touchdowns during his 16 years in the black and orange. He led the team to the Super Bowl in 1981 and won league MVP that year after tossing for 3,754 yards and 29 passing touchdowns.
Anderson was inducted into the team’s inaugural Ring of Honor, which was not surprising. The guy is a legend in Cincinnati and while he had a rough final two seasons, the other 14 years saw the Bengals be competitive because of Anderson.
Fans probably expected the former Augustana signal-caller to be at the top of this list and here he is. He played football until he was 37 years old, making him the oldest Bengals quarterback of all time.
Close calls for this list included Reggie Nelson and James Brooks, both of whom were 32 in their final Bengals seasons.