Bengals legend is set to help make a young player’s dream come true, but he will face a hostile crowd in the process
Former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson will represent his former team by announcing one of Cincinnati’s selections in the 2026 NFL Draft. He may also have to overcome the jeers from Pittsburgh Steelers fans on stage.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will be announcing the next Cincinnati Bengals player this coming Thursday during the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
He will not be announcing every pick the Bengals make.
The NFL has revealed the current and former players who will announce a selection sometime during the draft, and Cincinnati will have one of its all-time greats on the podium to help make a soon-to-be rookie’s dream come true.
Ken Anderson to announce Bengals selection in 2026 draft
Former Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson has been tabbed to announce a pick for the team he played 16 years for. At 77 years old, he is the oldest former player to be announcing a selection next week.
Anderson himself was a third-round pick during the 1971 draft out of Augustana College. He’s only one of two players to ever make the NFL from that school. George Lenc was an 11th round pick of the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1939 out of the program.
Anderson’s career lasted a lot longer than Lenc’s. He was the NFL MVP in 1981 and an All-Pro that season as well. He made four Pro Bowls, was the league’s leader in passer rating the same number of years, and led QBs in completion percentage in three years.
Cincinnati inducted Anderson into its inaugural Ring of Honor class in 2021 along with Ken Riley, and automatic inductees Paul Brown, and Anthony Munoz. The Pro Football Hall of Fame has made Anderson a finalist three times, but he’s still waiting on his gold jacket from Canton, OH.
If anything, Anderson may get the opposite of a legend’s welcome when he takes the stage.
Steelers fans will surely be booing Anderson and the Bengals’ pick
The draft is taking place in Pittsburgh right next door to Acrisure Stadium, home of the Steelers. Fans from all over the country travel to the host city to see the draft live, but the majority of fans in attendance will be Steelers fans from Pittsburgh.
They will cheer loudly when the Steelers make their picks, and their boos will be just as loud when division rivals make theirs.
When a former player of one of those rivals is making the pick, the boos will be amplified.
This has led to memorable moments in past drafts, like when Drew Pearson trolled Philadelphia Eagles fans in 2018 when the draft was located in Philly. That pick, funny enough, ended up being future Bengals cornerback Chidobe Awuzie.
Anderson may be well past his playing days, but he should expect a harsh crowd when his time to announce Cincinnati’s pick comes.
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