Bengals Ring of Honor voters have an obligation to fulfill after Cincinnati institutes new changes to the exclusive club
The nominees for the 2026 Cincinnati Bengals Ring of Honor Class have been revealed. There are five names for voters to consider, but voters need only worry about the rest of the ballot.
The nominees for the 2026 Cincinnati Bengals Ring of Honor Class have been revealed, and there are five names for voters to consider.
Geno Atkins, Carlos Dunlap, A.J. Green, Leon Hall, and Andrew Whitworth are now up for nomination, joining the remaining seven names from the inaugural ballot back in 2021. Those are Jim Breech, James Brooks, Cris Collinsworth, David Fulcher, Max Montoya, Bob Trumpy, and Reggie Williams.
Cincinnati’s Ring of Honor currently stands at 12 names, including team founder Paul Brown. This year will be the sixth class, and the new names added to the ballot calls for changes in the process.
Changes have arrived to the Bengals Ring of Honor
Two former Bengals greats will be inducted later this year. One of them is guaranteed to be among the remaining seven from the original ballot. The club is mandating this as the 2026 class will be the last to feature two inductees. The 2027 class will be the first in which only one nominee is voted on and inducted.
This year’s class can feature two original nominees, or one original and one new nominee. No matter the result, this season will feature the last Ring of Honor game featuring two separate inductions until further notice.
“Most other teams who do these inductions always do one at a time, and I think it presents really nicely,” director of strategy & engagement Elizabeth Blackburn told Bengals.com’s Geoff Hobson. “It lets them own the year, the game, the moment.”
The enhanced exclusivity is a double-edged sword. Honoring a single former player will make that day more special for the inductee, but it will naturally make it harder for deserving names to have their moment to shine.
That’s why this is the most important year the Bengals Ring of Honor may ever have.
Original nominees must be prioritized in 2026 class
With all respect due to Atkins, Dunlap, Green, Hall, and Whitworth, none of them have waited as long as their elder nominees. More importantly, none of them are nearly as old.
Ken Riley died at the age of 72 in 2020, a year before the Ring of Honor was even announced. Bob Trumpy died at the age of 80 last year. Riley, represented by his son, Ken Riley II, was inducted in 2021. Trumpy watched five classes pass him by before he passed away.
As much as the Bengals should prioritize inducting the absolute best players in franchise history, ensuring all nominees are present to witness their day of glory is more important. Riley never got that chance, and neither will Trumpy.
Fulcher is 61. Brooks and Collinsworth are 67. Breech and Montoya are 70. Williams is 71. These are the names who deserve the votes, especially before it goes down to one a year.
Voting for season ticket members begins Monday. It is their obligation to make sure those who’ve waited the longest are at the front of the line.