Cincinnati Bengals

After leaving the Cleveland BrownsCleveland BrownsThe Cleveland Browns are an NFL professional American football team that began play in the AAFC in 1946 and joined the NFL in 1950. They won four AAFC and four NFL championships. After suspending play from 1996 through 1998, the franchise resumed in 1999 with its name, colors and history retained. Its current home is Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland.Open the full entry, Paul Brown planned a return to professional football and discussed a new team with Ohio governor Jim Rhodes in 1965. His group received an AFL franchise in 1967 and began play in 1968, reviving the Bengals name used by earlier Cincinnati teams.⁠[1]

The Bengals initially played at Nippert Stadium and finished their first season 3–11. In 1970, their third season, they won the AFC Central division.⁠[1]

Cincinnati drafted quarterback Ken Anderson in 1971, won another division title in 1973 and earned a Wild Card berth in 1975. Paul Brown stopped coaching after that season but remained general manager until his death in 1991, when Mike Brown succeeded him.⁠[1]

The Bengals introduced tiger-striped helmets and uniforms in 1981. Forrest Gregg’s team went 12–4, beat the San Diego Chargers for the AFC title and then lost Super Bowl XVI to the San Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ersThe San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team that began play in 1946 and now competes in the NFL’s NFC West. Originally an AAFC member, the team joined the NFL in 1950 and won five Super Bowls under Bill Walsh and George Seifert. Its home is Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Kyle Shanahan has coached the team since 2017, and Jed York is its principal owner.Open the full entry, 26–21.⁠[1]

Under Sam Wyche and quarterback Boomer Esiason, Cincinnati improved from 4–12 to 12–4 in 1988 and beat the Buffalo BillsBuffalo BillsThe Buffalo Bills are an NFL professional American football team established through an AFL charter franchise awarded to Ralph Wilson in 1959, with play beginning in 1960. They won AFL titles in 1964 and 1965 and reached four consecutive Super Bowls after the 1990–1993 seasons. Their home is Orchard Park, New York, where the new Highmark Stadium opened in 2026.Open the full entry in the AFC Championship Game. The Bengals again lost to the 49ers in Super Bowl XXIII, 20–16.⁠[1]

The stadium now called Paycor Stadium opened in 2000 on Cincinnati’s riverfront. The team’s transport guide connects the venue with The Banks, downtown and transport across the Ohio River.⁠[2][3]

Cincinnati reached the playoffs in each season from 2011 through 2015 but lost in the Wild Card round every time. The franchise next returned to the postseason in the 2021 season.⁠[1]

Second-year quarterback Joe Burrow helped lead Cincinnati back to the playoffs and to the AFC championship in the 2021 season. The Bengals lost Super Bowl LVI to the Los Angeles RamsLos Angeles RamsThe Los Angeles Rams are an NFL professional American football team in the NFC West. They joined the NFL in Cleveland in 1937, later played in Los Angeles and St. Louis, and returned to the Los Angeles area in 2016. Their current home is SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Owned by Stan Kroenke and coached by Sean McVay, the Rams won the 1945 and 1951 NFL titles and Super Bowls XXXIV and LVI.Open the full entry, 23–20.⁠[1]

The Bengals outlined the first phase of a multiyear Paycor Stadium renovation, covering restrooms, concessions, club lounges, suites, the store, wayfinding and the video control room. Further escalators, replacement seats and a larger videoboard were planned for 2027.⁠[2]

The Cincinnati Bengals’ home city is Cincinnati, Ohio, where they play at Paycor Stadium. The current NFL team profile lists Zac Taylor as head coach and Mike Brown as owner.⁠[4][2]

Cincinnati Bengals: Official website: https://www.bengals.com/ (opens in a new window) .⁠[5]

Cincinnati Bengals: X: https://twitter.com/Bengals (opens in a new window) .⁠[5]

Cincinnati Bengals: YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is Google’s video-sharing and creator platform, founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim and acquired by Google in 2006. Built around video uploading, viewing, and creator earnings, the platform has developed Shorts, YouTube Music, Premium, YouTube TV, and products for children, and is headquartered in San Bruno, California, United States.Open the full entry: https://www.youtube.com/bengals (opens in a new window) .⁠[5]

Cincinnati Bengals: LinkedInLinkedInLinkedIn is a social networking platform for professionals. It was founded in 2002 by Reid Hoffman and others, launched in 2003, and listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2011; after Microsoft acquired it for approximately $26.2 billion in 2016, it became a wholly owned Microsoft subsidiary. Its revenue comes from membership subscriptions, advertising, and recruitment solutions.Open the full entry: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cincinnati-bengals (opens in a new window) .⁠[5]