For all of the criticism the Cincinnati Bengals often deservedly endure regarding their general operation of an NFL franchise, one positive the haters can't deny is that they can draft the heck out of wide receivers.
It's borderline uncanny and bizarre just how good the Bengals have drafted wideouts over the quarter-century or so. From Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson to Adriel Jeremiah Green to Ja'Marr Chase and many others in between, Cincinnati's strength in this area is mind-blowing.
Alas, as of Friday, we Who Dey Heads bid adieu to another prominent pass-catcher who stretched his initial four-year run with the Bengals into a unique, enduring NFL career.
Bengals 3rd-round pick Mohamed Sanu belatedly announces retirement; could absolutely sling it
The Bengals drafted Mohamed Sanu with the 83rd overall pick in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Rather dizzying to look back on that class and some of the players Cincinnati passed over in various rounds, but I digress.
Sanu finished out his rookie contract, and proceeded to the Atlanta Falcons on a five-year, $32.5 million open-market deal. He was a pivotal player on the team that ran all the way to Super Bowl LI, wherein Atlanta notoriously blew a 28-3 lead to Tom Brady's New England Patriots and lost in overtime.
Once his time with the Falcons was over in 2019, Sanu played for the Pats, 49ers, Lions, and the 49ers again in the ensuing respective years before getting cut at the end of the Miami Dolphins' 2022 training camp.
That was the last time Sanu was on an NFL field in any capacity. He was effectively retired long ago. However, Sanu surprised the football world by announcing his retirement in a more formal capacity:
After 10+ years in the NFL, my playing chapter is closing. Grateful for every coach, teammate & fan. Excited to give back through coaching & share the game in a new way with the @FactsOverStats Podcast. The journey continues… 💯 pic.twitter.com/Ey4szZmJV8
— Mohamed Sanu Sr. (@Mo_12_Sanu) September 19, 2025
Was Mohamed Sanu on the prospective comeback trail this whole time? Who knows. I wouldn't have had his NFL return on my bingo card in 2025. He just turned 36 in August after all.
In all seriousness, though — well, kind of — Sanu was a generational quarterback for somebody who played wide receiver. Among his eight career pass attempts, he completed seven of them for 233 yards and four TDs. That's good for a statistically-perfect passer rating of 158.3.
Mohamed Sanu is a PLAYMAKER at QB too 😳 @Mo_12_Sanu pic.twitter.com/XlAmdkbECi
— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) March 28, 2020
Kyle Shanahan's 49ers missed a golden opportunity some years back. Shanahan was the play-caller for the Falcons during Sanu's best years in Atlanta, and even brought him to the Bay Area for the 2021 campaign. The 49ers were in the NFC Championship Game in the 2022-23 postseason, and got so thin at QB that Christian McCaffrey began taking Wildcat snaps in perpetuity. The result was a 31-7 loss to the Eagles.
Had Shanahan scooped up Sanu and stashed him in the Niners' roster at the last minute, he'd have a ready-made emergency QB who might've gotten San Francisco back to the Super Bowl. Sadly, we'll never know how that would've shaken out.
What we do know is that Sanu stitched together a respectable 10-year career with 435 catches, 4,871 yards and 27 TDs, plus 42 carries, 226 rushing yards and another two TDs. As is reflected in his announcement, Sanu is firing up a podcast, and I'm 100% here for it.
Best of luck in retirement, Mohamed Sanu. You are a legend in your own way.