Corey Dillon was recently announced as the newest addition to the Cincinnati Bengals Ring of Honor, along with nose tackle Tim Krumrie. The two players will officially be inducted into the Ring at halftime of Cincinnati's game against the Washington Commanders on Sunday, Sept. 23.
The honor is a well-deserved one for Dillon, who was the most productive running back in franchise history. Dillon is the Bengals all-time leading rusher with 8,061 yards. He also has the most rushing attempts in franchise history (1,865) and his 96-yard touchdown jaunt against the Detroit Lions in 2001 stands as the longest run in Bengals history. He was named to three Pro Bowls as a member of the Bengals.
But, Dillon wasn't sure that the honor would ever come, as he didn't leave the team on the best terms. He memorably threw his uniform into the stands following his final game with the Bengals, and he was ultimately traded to the New England Patriots.
Dillon called out Cincinnati's selection process in 2023
Dillon also previously ripped Cincinnati's selection process for the Ring of Honor. New inductees into the Ring of Honor are voted on by Bengals season ticket members and suite holders, and Dillon took umbrage with that.
"Bengals are smart. I give it to them," Dillon said last year. "We will put it in the hands of the season-ticket holders, so they don't have to take that backlash over who the voters are picking. That's bulls--t. The s--t should come straight from the team. Half these season-ticket holder people never seen half of us play."
Perhaps Dillon will feel a bit better about the process now that he's on the receiving end of a selection. Either way, the four-time Pro Bowler is ready to leave any old differences he had with the organization in the post and focus on the positive of his tenure with the team.
"I think time heals everything," Dillon said about his inclusion in the Ring of Honor. "We had our due process of healing in our different ways. It's been long enough. I don't think the antics outweighed the production on the field, you know what I mean? I think what I presented to the organization outweighed the little antics that went on."
This truly appears to be a full-circle moment for Dillon, who gets the nod from the franchise over 20 years after he played his last game with the Bengals. The team has had a lot of running backs since then, but none have been able to match Dillon's production, so it's fitting that he'll be the first running back in Cincinnati's Ring of Honor.