Anthony Munoz’s place in NFL history is still impossible to miss.
Bryan DeArdo of CBS Sports recently put together a list of the 100 best players the league has ever seen, and the Bengals legend checked in at No. 19. DeArdo also labeled Munoz the greatest left tackle in NFL history, a distinction that fits the résumé he built over 13 seasons in Cincinnati.
The names around him on the list help frame just how high Munoz landed. Among the Bengals who came before and after him in franchise history are Ken Anderson, Ken Riley, Boomer Esiason, Chad Johnson, A.J.
Green, Corey Dillon, James Brooks and Tim Krumrie, with plenty more in that group as well. On the league-wide side, Munoz finished ahead of Marcus Allen, Steve Van Buren, Troy Aikman, Bart Starr, Forrest Gregg and Mike Ditka, among others.
That kind of placement speaks to how dominant he was from the moment he arrived. Cincinnati took Munoz third overall in the 1980 NFL Draft, a pick that came with some risk because of his injury history. He answered it immediately, winning a starting job as a rookie and never giving it back during his 13 seasons with the Bengals.
The accolades piled up fast: 9x All-Pro and 11x Pro Bowler. Fewer than 50 players in NFL history have been chosen to more than 10 Pro Bowls, and Munoz is one of them. When he retired, he was tied with Tom Mack for the most Pro Bowls by an offensive lineman in league history.
He was also right in the middle of two Bengals Super Bowl teams, helping anchor the line for Ken Anderson and Boomer Esiason. Those teams also became part of his legacy in another way, with both quarterbacks eventually going on to win league MVPs.
Munoz was more than just a pass protector, too. He recorded seven receptions and four touchdowns, a reminder that he brought more to the table than the typical offensive lineman. His individual hardware told the same story: Offensive Lineman of the Year in 1981 and 1988, both Super Bowl years, plus NFLPA Offensive Lineman of the Year in ‘81, ‘85, ‘88 and ‘89 and NFL Alumni Association Offensive Lineman of the Year in ‘87, ‘89, ‘90 and ‘91.
What really separates offensive linemen is the work that rarely makes headlines. Munoz made a career out of cleaning up the edge, and he did it with remarkable control over 13 years: just 14 holding penalties and 16 false starts.
His place among the all-time greats has been recognized for years. In 1994, he was named to the NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team and ranked 17th on the greatest players list in 1999. He entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998 and later joined the Cincinnati Bengals Ring of Honor in 2021.
In Other News...
Cam Taylor-Britts Fresh Start Just Took A Brutal Turn
Cam Taylor-Britts offseason reset hit a rough patch before he ever got to the first meaningful game of the year. The league handed him a one-game suspension without pay for violating the personal conduct policy, a penalty that stems from a past off-field incident during his time with the Bengals and now shadows his start with the Indianapolis Colts.
The suspension will keep Taylor-Britt out of Indianapolis Week 1 opener, though he remains eligible to practice and appear in preseason games. For a player trying to move forward in a new setting, it is an unwelcome early distraction, and one that brings fresh attention to a situation he was hoping to put behind him. [Read more 🡒]
Joe Burrow Just Raised The Stakes For Bengals Camp
Joe Burrow says the Bengals are approaching training camp with a championship mentality, and that mindset feels like more than just preseason talk around Paycor. The emphasis, as Burrow framed it, is on urgency and hard work in practice as Cincinnati tries to set the tone early for what it hopes turns into a playoff push.
One of the clearest signs of that edge is the addition of defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, who is already making life difficult for the offensive line in camp. For a team trying to sharpen every detail before the games count, having that kind of challenge on the practice field should help reveal where the Bengals are strong and where they still need work. [Read more 🡒]