Cincinnati Bengals: 2024 Roster, Players, Schedule, Super Bowl Wins and More

Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, the Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team. They are part of the National Football League (NFL) and play in the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in 1968 by Paul Brown, the Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team. With over 1.5 million fans online, the team is often cheered up with the famous “Who Dey?” chant. The Bengals fans proudly shout this chant as it has an interesting backstory tied to Cincinnati's local culture. One popular tale traces it back to the Hudepohl Brewing Company, a staple in the area. 

During Bengals games at their old stadium, vendors would shout “Hudy!” to sell the local Hudepohl beer. This cry sounded strikingly similar to the now-iconic “Who Dey?” chant. Sensing an opportunity, Hudepohl released a Bengals-themed beer in 1981 called “Hu-Dey.” The beer's label featured a tiger face, stripes, and the catchy slogan, “Who dey think gonna beat dem Bengals?” This clever marketing move helped cement the chant in Cincinnati's sports culture, creating a lasting tradition that lives on in the hearts of Bengals fans.

Historical Background of the Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals were founded by Paul Brown and the team joined the NFL as an expansion team in 1968. The backdrop of their history is: The legendary coach Brown founded the Cleveland Browns in 1946. The team was a powerhouse in the early days, dominating the All-America Football Conference and competing in several NFL Championship Games. 

However, in 1963, after a change in ownership, Brown was fired by Art Modell. He then met with then-Governor Jim Rhodes, and the two agreed to form a new team. In 1966, Cincinnati's city council approved building a large, 60,389-seat Riverfront Stadium, aiming for completion by 1970. Shortly after, the next year, that means in 1967, Brown, leading a group, secured an American Football League franchise for the city. They established the Bengals in the same year. According to the NFL, “Brown named the team after Cincinnati's former pro football team called the Bengals that played in the 1930s and 1940s.” 

The newly expanded team, Bengals, began playing in the AFL in 1968. And this sequence of events marked the beginning of Cincinnati's journey into professional football, with both the stadium and franchise playing pivotal roles. Now, after the AFL-NFL merger, the $3.5 billion Bengals are in the AFC North division, the same division as the Browns. Since then, the Bengals have seen varying levels of success, with periods of competitive play and rebuilding. 

Notable milestones and achievements

The Bengals have had a mix of successful seasons and rebuilding years. The team has been successful in winning three AFC Conference championships: 1981, 1988, and 2021 (their Super Bowl appearances years). They reached the Super Bowl three times – XVI (1981), XXIII (1988), and LVI (2021) – but till now haven’t won any championship. They lost all three appearances, with the first two against the San Francisco 49ers, making them one of their interesting rivals. Besides that, they also lost the latest Super Bowl game (2021) against the Los Angeles Rams. The franchise has seen varying levels of success, including AFC Championship victories in 1981 and 1988. 

Major rivalries of the Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals have fierce competition with these teams, often impacting their playoff aspirations, as they all are from the same division – AFC North.

Cincinnati Bengals vs Cleveland Browns: This rivalry is often known as the “Battle of Ohio” due to their same AFC North division, geography and a shared heritage history. How? Actually, the Cleveland (Northeast) and Cincinnati (Southwest) are on opposite corners of Ohio, and hence the rival. But not only that! The rivalry between the Bengals and Browns runs deep, dating back to 1970 when they first clashed. Due to the firing of coach Paul Brown from the Browns, the legendary coach established a new team – the Bengals. And hence, the rivalry.

Their first regular-season encounter on October 11, 1970, ended in a Bengals loss after they had previously defeated the Browns in a preseason game. The Bengals redeemed themselves later that season with a narrow 14-10 victory at the former Paul Brown Stadium. This early back-and-forth set the tone for a rivalry that has only intensified over the years. It has set the stage for a fierce rivalry, with the teams meeting twice a year. According to the records, since 1970, they have played 101 games with each other. The Browns have won 48 while the Bengals have 53 game victories. 

Cincinnati Bengals vs Baltimore Ravens: The rivalry between these two teams stems from their same AFC North division. They have faced off against each other 57 times, in which the Bengals won 27 games while the Ravens have a three-game advantage. They are ahead of the Bengals having won 30 games. 

Cincinnati Bengals vs Pittsburgh Steelers: They are considered one of the biggest rivals in the league. Not only because of their divisional rivalry, but also due to their massive number of losses with the Steelers. Having met each other 109 times, Pittsburgh has won 70 games while the Bengals have just won 39. 

Cincinnati Bengals vs San Francisco 49ers: These two teams have played each other 18 times, with the Bengals winning just 5 games and the 49ers the rest 13. The rivalry between them also intensified over the years because among the Bengals’ three Super Bowl appearances, they had lost against the Niners twice.

Major contracts of the Cincinnati Bengals in 2024

Who are the starters for the 2024 season?

Led by Zac Taylor, this year too, quarterback Joe Burrow will start this season after coming off a wrist injury that ended his 2023 season in mid-November. Supporting him in 2024 will be these starters, provided they remain injury-free:

RB Zack Moss

WR Ja'Marr Chase

WR Tee Higgins

WR Andrei losivas

TE Mike Gesicki

LT Orlando Brown Jr.

LG Cordell Volson

C Ted Karras

RG Alex Cappa

RT Trent Brown

LDE Sam Hubbard 

LDT Sheldon Rankins

RDT B.J. Hill

RDE Trey Hendrickson

WLB Logan Wilson

MLB Germaine Pratt

SLB Akeem Davis-Gaither

LCB Cam Taylor-Britt

SS Jordan Battle

FS Geno Stone

RCB DJ Turner II

NB Mike Hilton

PK Evan McPherson

P Brad Robbins

H Brad Robbins

PR Charlie Jones

KR Trayveon Williams

LS Cal Adomitis

Notable coaches and players

The team has had several Pro Bowl and All-Pro players throughout its history. Additionally the franchise has been led by various notable coaches, including founding coach Paul Brown and recent coaches like Zac Taylor. 

Besides them, they have three members as the team’s Hall of Famers: coach Paul Brown (1967); OL Anthony Munoz (1998); and CB Ken Riley (2023). Now, apart from them, some other recent stars of the team are Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase.

The schedule of the Cincinnati Bengals