Here is a look at how I ranked the Cincinnati Bengals’ QBs since 1980
I have been watching the Bengals for over 30 years now, so I decided to look back and rank every QB that has started 1 game for them since 1980. Here’s what I came up with:
1. Boomer Esiason – The blonde headed lefty was the best Bengals’ QB I have seen. Esiason only had a 62-61 (50.4%) record with the Bengals but he played on some pretty bad teams. He played in 134 games (123 starts) for the Bengals and he completed 2,015 of 3,564 passes (56.5%) for 27,149 yards with 187 TD passes and 131 INTs (83.1 QB Rating). Esiason also carried the ball 340 times for 1,355 yards (4.0 ypc) with 5 TD runs with the Bengals. Esiason made it to three Pro Bowls with the Bengals and he almost won a Super Bowl for them before Joe Montana snatched it away from him late in the game.
2. Carson Palmer – Carson Palmer might be a whiny brat right now that wants out of Cincinnati. But, Palmer was a good QB for the Bengals. The Bengals are 46-51 (47.4%) in games started by Palmer. He has played in 97 games (all starts) for the Bengals and he has completed 2,024 of 3,217 passes (62.9%) for 22,694 yards with 154 TD passes and 100 INTs (86.9 QB Rating). Palmer also carried the ball 179 times for 316 yards (1.8 ypc) with 5 TD runs.
3. Ken Anderson – Ken Anderson was a very solid QB for the Bengals. The Bengals were 32-29 (52.5%) when Anderson started a game in the 1980′s. He played in 73 games (61 starts) in the 1980′s for the Bengals and he completed 1,084 of 1,690 passes (64.1%) for 12,808 yards with 72 TD passes and 59 INTs. He also carried the ball 121 times for 738 yards (6.1 ypc) with 6 TD runs in the 1980′s for the Bengals. Anderson made it to 2 Pro Bowls and he also lost in the Super Bowl to Joe Montana in 1981.
4. Jeff Blake – Jeff Blake was one of the more athletic QBs in Bengals’ history. The Bengals were only 25-41 (37.9%) when Blake started under center but that was not all his fault as the Bengals weren’t very good when he played. Blake played in 75 games (66 starts) in his career with the Bengals and he completed 1,240 of 2,221 (55.8%) for 15,134 yards with 93 TD passes and 62 INTs (79.3 QB Rating). He also carried the ball 285 times for 1,499 yards (5.3 ypc) with 10 TD runs for the Bengals.
5. Jon Kitna – Jon Kitna might not have been the prettiest QB but he was still good enough to rank this high. Kitna was 18-28 (39.1%) as a starting QB for the Bengals. He played in 53 games (46 starts) with the Bengals and he was 1,009 of 1,707 (59.1%) for 10,707 yards with 59 TD passes and 59 INTs (74.6 QB Rating). Kitna also carried the ball 101 times for 299 yards (3.0 ypc) with 5 TD runs for the Bengals.
6. Neil O’Donnell - Neil O’Donnell was only one the Bengals for 1 year. The Bengals went 2-9 (18.2%) with O’Donnell under center but it wasn’t his fault as he actually played pretty well for them. O’Donnell played in 13 games (11 starts) for the Bengals and he completed 212 of 343 passes (61.8%) for 2,216 yards with 15 TD passes and 4 INTs (90.2 QB Rating). O’Donnell also carried the ball 13 times for 34 yards (2.6 ypc) for the Bengals.
7. Turk Schonert – Turk Schonert was a very solid backup QB for the Bengals. The Bengals were 5-2 (71.4%) when Schonert started at QB. Schonert played in 64 games (7 starts) for the Bengals and he completed 216 of 350 passes (61.7%) for 2,756 yards with 7 TD passes and 12 INTs (78.7 QB Rating). Schonert also carried the ball 62 times for 276 yards (4.5 ypc) with 3 TD runs for the Bengals.
8. Ryan Fitzpatrick - Ryan Fitzpatrick was a so-so backup QB for the Bengals. The Bengals were 4-7-1 (36.4) when Fitzpatrick started under center. Fitzpatrick played in 14 games (12 starts) for the Bengals and he completed 221 of 372 passes (59.4%) for 1,905 yards with 8 TD passes and 9 INTs (70.0 QB Rating). Fitzpatrick also carried the ball 60 times for 304 yards (5.1 ypc) with 2 TD runs for the Bengals.
9. Jay Schroeder - Jay Schroeder was a flame thrower as his arm was very strong, but he wasn’t the most accurate QB around. Schroeder was 0-3 as the starting QB for the Bengals. He played in 9 games (3 starts) for the Bengals and he completed 78 of 159 passes (49.1%) for 832 yards with 5 TD passes and 2 INTs (70.0 QB Rating). Schroeder also carried the ball 10 times for 41 yards (4.1 ypc) for the Bengals.
10. Jack Thompson - Jack “The Throwing Samoan” Thompson was a backup who couldn’t quite graduate to starting duty. The Bengals were 1-4 (20.0%) when Thompson started at QB. Thompson played in 32 games (5 starts) for the Bengals and he completed 175 of 370 passes (47.3%) for 2,072 yards with 13 TD passes and 19 INTs (55.1 QB Rating). Thompson also carried the ball 39 times for 200 yards (5.1 ypc) with 6 TD runs for the Bengals.
11. Erik Wilhelm – Eric Wilhelm was a decent backup QB for the Bengals. He was 0-1 as a starting QB for the Bengals. Wilhelm completed 77 of 136 passes (56.6%) for 912 yards with 5 TD passes and 6 INTs (71.1 QB Rating). He also carried the ball 19 times for 69 yards (3.6 ypc) for the Bengals.
12. Donald Hollas – Donald Hollas was a true running QB for the Bengals. The Bengals were 0-2 when Hollas started at QB. Hollas played in 20 games (2 starts) for the Bengals and he completed 67 of 115 passes (58.3%) for 645 yards with 3 TD passes and 5 INTs (64.6 QB Rating). He also carried the ball 32 times for 175 yards (5.5 ypc) for the Bengals.
13. David Klingler – David Klinger was a true first round bust for the Bengals. The Bengals were only 4-20 (16.7%) when Klingler started at QB. Klingler played in 31 games (24 starts) for the Bengals and he completed 375 of 687 passes (54.6%) for 3,880 yards with 16 TD passes and 21 INTs (66.1 QB Rating). Klingler also carried the ball 69 times for 420 yards (6.1 ypc) for the Bengals.
14. Akili Smith – Akili Smith made David Klingler look like Joe Montana. Smith was putrid as the Bengals were 3-14 (17.6%) in games he started at QB. Smith played in 22 games (17 starts) for the Bengals and he completed 215 of 461 passes (46.6%) for 2,212 yards with 5 TD passes and 13 INTs (52.8 QB Rating). Smith also carried the ball 70 times for 371 yards (5.3 ypc) with 1 TD run for the Bengals. Smith was one of the worst QBs EVER drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft.
15. Paul Justin – Justin was not a very good backup QB. The Bengals were 0-3 when Justin started under center. Justin played in 5 games (3 starts) for the Bengals and he completed 34 of 63 passes (54%) for 426 yards with 1 TD pass and 3 INTs (60.7 QB Rating). Justin also carried the ball 1 time for 2 yards for the Bengals.
16. Gus Frerotte – Gus Frerotte was pretty awful with the Bengals. Frerotte was 0-3 as the Bengals’ starting QB. Frerotte played in 4 games (3 starts) for the Bengals and he completed 44 of 85 passes (51.8%) for 437 yards with 1 TD pass and 5 INTs (46.1 QB Rating). Frerotte also carried the ball 4 times for 22 yards (5.5 ypc) for the Bengals.
17. Scott Mitchell – Scott Mitchell was terrible with the Bengals. The Bengals were somehow 2-3 (40%) when Mitchell started at QB. Mitchell played in 9 games (5 starts) for the Bengals and he completed 93 of 199 passes (46.7%) for 1,004 yards with 3 TD passes and 11 INTs (44.0 QB Rating). Mitchell also carried the ball 10 times for 61 yards (6.1 ypc) with 1 TD run.
18. Adrian Breen – Adrian Breen was one of the replacement players during the 1987 strike. The Bengals were 0-1 when he started at QB. Breen played in 2 games (1 start) for the Bengals and he completed 3 of 8 passes (37.5%) for 9 yards with 1 TD pass and 0 INTs (85.4 QB Rating). Breen also carried the ball 6 times for 18 yards (3.0 ypc) with the Bengals.
19. Dave Walter – Dave Walter was also a strike replacement player in 1987. The Bengals were 1-1 (50%) in games he started at QB for them. Walter played in 3 games (2 starts) for the Bengals and he completed 10 of 21 passes (47.6%) for 113 yards with 0 TD passes and 0 INTs (64.2 QB Rating). Walter also carried the ball 16 times for 70 yards (4.4 ypc) for the Bengals.
So there you have it, my rankings of Bengals’ QBs over the last 31 years.