Since joining the NFL in 1970, the Cincinnati Bengals have made 14 playoff appearances, nine division champions, and represented the AFC twice in the Super Bowl. A Lombardi trophy remains elusive for the franchise.

It's had its share of years of futility, but the Bengals have also seen several great wide receivers don their black and orange uniforms and play for the Queen City. 

In this piece, we're going to look at the five best Bengals receivers in franchise history.

5. Cris Collinsworth

Best Bengals Receivers

Younger fans of the team may know Collinsworth as the analyst usually paired with Al Michaels on the NBC Sunday Night Football broadcasts, but the 61-year old had a productive seven-year stint for the Bengals from 1981-1988, and was part of the only two Cincinnati teams to reach the Super Bowl.

Selected with the 37th overall pick in the second round out of Florida in the 1981 NFL Draft, the 6’5’’ Collinsworth quickly made an impact for the Bengals, finishing with 67 catches for 1,009 yards and eight touchdowns in his rookie year — on his way to the first of what would eventually be three Pro Bowl selections.

Collinsworth was able to reach the Super Bowl in just his rookie season, catching five passes for 107 yards in Super Bowl XVI, but the Bengals fell short to Joe Montana and the San Francisco 49ers, 26-21.

Nevertheless, the Dayton, Ohio native thrived in his succeeding years in the NFL, surpassing the 1,000 yard mark in four of his seven seasons, and catching 417 passes and scoring 36 touchdowns for his career. He had a final chance to go out on top as the Bengals faces the Niners again in Super Bowl XXIII (in what turned out to be his final game). Collinsworth caught three passes for 40 yards, but Montana and San Francisco again prevailed, 20-16. Nevertheless, his brief but productive career cements his place among the greatest wide receivers in franchise history. 

4. Isaac Curtis

Like Collinsworth, Curtis also spent his entire playing career with the Bengals. Also like his former teammate, he will be remembered as one of the best wideouts in franchise history. 

A four-time Pro Bowler and a three-time Second Team All Pro selection, Curtis was selected 15th overall out of San Diego State in the first round of the 1973 NFL Draft. He quickly showed why he was such a high draft pick, tallying 45 receptions for 843 yards and scoring nine touchdowns in his rookie season.

While Curtis did not have the statistical highs that Collinsworth’s career reached, as he never caught more than 50 passes nor surpass 1,000 receiving yards in any of his 12 seasons with the Bengals, he was as consistent as they come, and nearly reached those marks a couple of times, including in 1975, when he finished the season with 44 catches for 934 yards and seven touchdowns.

While he never surpassed those numbers later in his career, he was still able to compete at a high level until 1984, when he retired at age 34. In his dozen years playing for Queen City, Number 85 finished with 416 receptions, 7,101 receiving yards, 53 touchdowns, and a place as one of the greatest receivers that have ever played for Cincinnati. 

3. Carl Pickens

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AMSRLDMMcI

The Bengals had their run of futility during the 1990s, but one of the few bright spots for the team during those lean years was Carl Pickens, who played for eight seasons with the franchise. Pickens never had much success in his years in Cincinnati, as his teams went just a combined 40-88 and only reaching .500 once (the team finished with an 8-8 record during the 1996 season). However, that doesn’t mean that the 31st overall pick in the second round of the 1992 NFL Draft did not give Bengals fans some memorable moments. 

He showed his talent right out of the gate, winning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in his first season on the strength of 26 catches for 326 yards and one touchdown. He would improve by leaps and bounds in his sophomore season, finishing with 43 catches for 565 yards and six touchdowns for the Bengals.

Even as the losses kept on piling, Pickens continued performing at a high level, earning Pro Bowl selections in 1995 and 1996, which were also his best years in Cincinnati. Pickens did not finish his career in Queen City, going on to play for New England in 2000 and signing with the Cowboys in 2000 before retiring in 2001, but he remains one of Cincinnati’s best at wide receiver. 

2. Chad Johnson

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Chad Johnson, bengals
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If the Bengals were constant cellar dwellers in the 1990s, they became playoff contenders during the next decade, and Chad Johnson was a big reason for that. No list of the best Bengals wideouts would be complete without Johnson, who was also one of the NFL’s best players during his time in Cincinnati. Drafted with the 36th overall pick in the second round during the 2001 NFL Draft, Johnson was one of the players responsible for transforming the Bengals culture during the last decade.

With six Pro Bowl selections, three First Team All-Pro, and a Second Team All-Pro selection, Johnson also owns several franchise records, including the most touchdown catches, while also being one of the few players to record 10,000 receiving yards with one team. Johnson was at his deadliest form in 2006, when he left the league in receiving yards, finishing with 1,369 yards for the season. He surpassed the 1,000 receiving yards mark in seven of his ten years playing for Cincinnati. The team may not have won any playoff games with Johnson, but he remains one of the best to have ever donned their orange, black, and white uniforms. 

1. AJ Green

AJ Green, Bengals

Green’s story in the NFL is still being written, as the 32-year old is still set to play in his ninth season for the Bengals later this year. But given his achievements, he has already cemented his place as arguably the greatest at his position to have played in Cincinnati. Taken with the fourth overall pick in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft, Green already showed glimpses of his potential in his rookie year, finishing with 65 catches and 1,057 receiving yards in his first season on his way to a Pro Bowl selection. 

Presently, Green has amassed seven Pro Bowl selections and three Second Team All-Pro selections for the Bengals, and has 8,907 receiving yards, 602 catches, and 63 touchdowns to his name.