When the NFL announced its special Centennial Slate for 2020 it seemed like Cincinnati Bengals legend Ken Anderson would finally get his time in the spotlight.
Or not.
In the most egregious overlooking of Anderson yet, the “Blue Ribbon Panel” didn’t even include Anderson in the list of finalists. This list of finalists, by the way, is aimed at and includes more than a handful of people from his generation of the game. It also, by the way, doesn’t include quarterbacks at all despite its standing as the most important position in the sport.
Anderson, who has been a finalist twice but oddly skipped over, has 32,838 passing yards, 197 touchdowns and 160 interceptions to his name. Over 16 years, he won an MVP and went to the Super Bowl, was a three-time All-Pro, led the NFL in passer rating four times, passing yards twice, went to four Pro Bowls and led the league in interception percentage and completion percentage three times.
Five of the passers in the Hall right now never won an MVP. Six never led the league in passing yardage. Ten of 15 won a Super Bowl, yet few were in as unique of a position as Anderson, who alongside Bill Walsh, helped pioneer what was eventually called the West Coast offense (it’d be junk to paint this as a negative for Hall candidacy because it was ahead of its time). He was also an excellent running quarterback. His contributions to the game didn’t stop there for what it’s worth, as he went on to coach from 1993-2009.
And yet, while naming nearly 40 finalists, the NFL Hall of Fame has managed to overlook Anderson again, leaving the Bengals with a lone player in the Hall of Fame.
Don’t forget Ken Riley either — he’s still fifth in NFL history in interceptions right next to Charles Woodson.
The Bengals have always seemed underrepresented on the national stage for plenty of reasons. But it’s a shame this latest omission once again features Anderson front and center, blatantly disregarding his career while emphasizing the need for a complete overhaul of the current system.
