Anthony Muñoz keeps adding to a résumé that was already sealed long ago. Now he has another honor to his name: CBS Sports included the Cincinnati Bengals great on its list of the 100 greatest players in NFL history.
Muñoz was the only player primarily tied to Cincinnati to make the cut, and CBS ranked him ahead of names like Emmitt Smith, Ray Lewis, Aaron Donald, and Brett Favre. He also stood alone as the highest-ranked offensive tackle on the list.
“The greatest left tackle in NFL history, Muñoz earned 11 straight Pro Bowl nods and was an All-Pro in nine of his 13 seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals,” CBS Sports' Bryan DeArdo wrote. “A pillar on the Bengals' first two Super Bowl teams, Muñoz's pass protection helped both Ken Anderson and Boomer Esiason win league MVPs.”
The Bengals grabbed Muñoz with the No. 3 pick in the 1980 NFL Draft, even with concerns about the knee injuries he had suffered at USC. Those worries didn’t last long. He quickly became one of the most dominant offensive linemen of his era and spent his entire 13-year career in Cincinnati.
His consistency was remarkable. From 1981 through 1991, Muñoz went to 11 straight Pro Bowls. He also earned first-team All-Pro honors nine times, including eight in a row from 1981 through 1988.
Muñoz was central to both Bengals teams that reached the Super Bowl in the 1980s. Cincinnati first got there after the 1981 season, then returned seven years later.
He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998, his first year of eligibility.
Cincinnati has produced plenty of notable players, but Muñoz stands in a class by himself. Landing inside the top 20 and above every other offensive tackle is just the latest reminder of how high he set the bar.
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