The Cincinnati Bengals have at least two players on their way to the Pro Football Focus Hall of Fame.
And the names aren’t hard to guess: Geno Atkins and A.J. Green.
Atkins and Green are well on their way to Canton, something Ben Linsey of PFF agrees with, especially when it comes to Atkins:
The Bengals don’t have any players that we deemed as Canton-worthy should their careers end today, but they have two players that are in the process of putting together truly impressive careers. Generational talents like J.J. Watt and Aaron Donald have overshadowed just how good Atkins has been at getting after the quarterback as an interior defender. His pass-rush grade since entering the league ranks third behind only those two greats at the position, and his 540 quarterback pressures are 50 more than any other interior defender.
The explanation around Green is a little more obvious, to say the least. Linsey lists both guys as “on pace” and no Bengals make the “in if they retire today” category. It seems fair enough considering only names like Tom Brady are in the latter right now.
Given their resumes and importance to the franchise itself, Atkins and Green seem a lock regardless. Both don’t generate the headlines other players of similar caliber do for obvious reasons, yet those willing to do some digging usually find out the true breadth of their impact.
Perhaps more interesting are players who could eventually slip into the “on pace” category. Carlos Dunlap comes to mind, though the rest of the young core built around Joe Mixon, Jessie Bates and William Jackson has a long, long way to go still.
Given the franchise’s history with Hall of Fames, though, it’s nice to see Atkins and Green getting some much-deserved attention.
