Bengals’ most unlikely franchise records to ever be broken

When you have been a franchise for 50 seasons, you have probably accumulated quite a few records that will probably stand for 50 more seasons.

It is hard to really imagine any record standing that long with the way the game is shifting, but whether it be because style changes or business limitations, there are three records that will surely be incredibly tough to break.

Corey Dillion’s 8,061 rushing yards

This record may seem attainable. If a running back stays with the Bengals long enough, it isn’t crazy to think they could beat this record. However, it is becoming rarer and rarer for teams to opt to keep talented backs into a second contract. Also, running back committees will make this even harder to reach.

Teams often opt to draft a replacement for their running back rather than give a huge contract to player that his replacement would cost a fraction of the price. The business and direction of the NFL into a passing league makes this mark one of the tougher to reach.

Ken Riley’s 65 interceptions

You want to talk unbreakable? Then let’s talk about 65 interceptions.

Riley played from 1969-83. That is 15 seasons in the NFL. That alone is amazing. The second most in team history for interceptions is only 33. 65 is good enough for fifth all-time. Ed Reed is the closest player from recent memory with 64 interceptions, and he is going to be a first ballot Hall of Famer.

To really put this in perspective, Dre Kirkpatrick, the Bengals oldest member of the secondary, has only nine interceptions. No one is going to come close to sniffing that record. The Bengals would have to draft one of the best defensive backs of their generation and keep him for their entire career to even come close to that record. That is just a mind-blowing number.

Chad Johnson leading the AFC in receiving in four straight seasons

It isn’t a record in the normal sense of the word, but we will probably never see a Bengal repeat this accomplishment. Johnson led the AFC in receiving yards from the 2003 to 2006 season. Only in 2006 did he also lead the league in receiving as well though.

Johnson’s greatness as a player often gets overlooked by his antics, which is unfortunate. He was in the conversation for best receiver in the NFL for a period.

The reason we will probably never see this repeated or even broken again is because it is just far too difficult to do in today’s NFL. Even back then it was impressive, but now receivers are coming in even more polished than ever before. The competition factor makes it so hard to even accomplish multiple seasons in a row.

We almost saw Antonio Brown do this in the past four seasons, but T.Y. Hilton beat him in 2016. Brown also lost out to Josh Gordon in 2013. There is just always that chance a receiver comes out of nowhere in a league that throws as much as today’s NFL.

Also, no Bengals receiver after Johnson has led the AFC in receiving. It is something even A.J. Green has never done.