Cincinnati Bengals in the Super Bowl: Full record and history

Pretty much anyone who is even remotely familiar with the Cincinnati Bengals knows that the team has never won a Super Bowl -- yet. It's a well-known, and unfortunate, fact of the franchise.

The Bengals are one of 12 current NFL franchises who have never won the big game, along with the Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Chargers, Minnesota Vikings, and Tennessee Titans.

Even though the Bengals have never won the Super Bowl, it could be worse, as four teams -- the Browns, Jaguars, Lions and Texans -- have never even made it to the season's grand finale. The Bengals, on the other hand, have made it to the Super Bowl on three different occasions.

Here's a look back at Cincinnati's three Super Bowl appearances.

Super Bowl XVI

The Bengals made their first Super Bowl appearance against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XVI. The game took place on January 24, 1982, at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan. Both teams were making their first Super Bowl appearance. Ultimately, it was the 49ers who came out on top with a 26-21 win. It was a tough loss for Bengals fans to swallow, but the team got a shot a revenge later in the decade.

Super Bowl XXIII

Seven years after their initial meeting in Super Bowl XVI, the Bengals and 49ers met again in Super Bowl XXIII, which was played on January 22, 1989, at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami. Unfortunately for fans in Cincinnati, the outcome was ultimately the same as it was in the first meeting between the two teams, as the 49ers walked away with a 20-16 victory. After that loss, it would be over 30 years before the Bengals made it back to the big game.

Super Bowl LVI

Most recently, the Bengals squared off against the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI, which was played on February 13, 2022, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. It was a close contest, but the Rams ultimately walked away with a 23-20 victory. It was the second Super Bowl victory in Rams franchise history. The Bengals made it back to the AFC Championship the following season, but they were bested by the Kanss City Chiefs in the contest. Fans in Cincinnati are now eagerly awaiting the team's next appearance in the Super Bowl.