There are only 32 NFL players who can make a very specific claim, more if you count defunct NFL franchises. (The Houston Oilers are not a defunct franchise; they are merely the previous iteration of what is now the Tennessee Titans. The most recent defunct NFL franchise is the New York Bulldogs/Yanks, who folded in 1951.)
That claim is simple but weighty and powerful: a claim as the most important player in their history of an NFL franchise.
There is a most important New England Patriot. There is a most important Jacksonville Jaguar. There is a most important Detroit Lion. There is a most important player on all 32 NFL teams (plus the defunct franchises). That’s a very small number, a very small percentage of all the NFL players who have ever stepped onto a Sunday gridiron.
When discussing the most important Cincinnati Bengal of all time, it has to be Anthony Munoz, at least today. Maybe in a few years, Joe Burrow will win a Super Bowl, which might change the conversation. Today — May 31, 2023 — Munoz has to be No. 1 in Bengal history.
One year after Munoz was drafted by Cincinnati in 1980, the Bengals made their first Super Bowl. Munoz was the anchor of the team’s offensive line in two different Super Bowls. Burrow did make Super Bowl LVI in the 2021 season, but Munoz led the Bengals through a multi-Super Bowl era. He also brought to an end the Pittsburgh Steelers’ rule of what was then known as the AFC Central Division.
Crucially, Munoz made Super Bowls with two different Bengal quarterbacks: Ken Anderson (XVI, 1981 season) and Boomer Esiason (XXIII, 1988 season). Munoz being the common thread on two different Super Bowl teams with two different quarterbacks puts him ahead of Burrow. The equation changes only when Burrow wins a Super Bowl or makes three Super Bowls. Right now, it’s still Munoz at No. 1, Burrow at No. 2.
Watch Anthony Munoz talk to co-hosts Tim Prangley and Rick Anaya on Trojan Conquest Live this Sunday, June 4. The live broadcast begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time, 5 p.m. Pacific (maybe one or two minutes after).
It’s the USC YouTube show you won’t want to miss. The episode will be labeled Trojan Conquest Live 14. Follow co-host Tim Prangley on Twitter for updates and more information.
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