Players who played for both the San Francisco 49ers and the Cincinnati Bengals
51 NFL players have suited up for both franchises. Here they all are, ranked the way The Chains ranks them, most recognizable first.
51
Players
13
Easy to name
Epic
Best link
Chains matchup: Friendly. Compared with the other 495 team pairs, based on how many of these players are easy to name.
How this plays in The Chains
Every link in a puzzle is scored by how unlikely it was that a fan would name it. Connect a 49ers player to a Bengals player through Marcus Maxwell and the link is rated Epic (+160 bonus points). The obvious answers score little. The deep cuts are where the big points are.
Play today's puzzleEasy to name
Common and Uncommon. The easiest answers between these two teams.
- Common
Terrell Owens
WR · 1996–2010 · SF 1996–2003, CIN 2010
- Common
Justin Smith
DL · 2001–2014 · SF 2008–2014, CIN 2001–2007
- Common
Takeo Spikes
LB · 1998–2012 · SF 2008–2010, CIN 1998–2002
- Common
Ahmad Brooks
MLB · 2006–2017 · SF 2008–2016, CIN 2006–2007
- Common
Nate Clements
DB · 2001–2012 · SF 2007–2010, CIN 2011–2012
- Common
Leon Hall
CB · 2007–2018 · SF 2017, CIN 2007–2015
- Uncommon
Dre Kirkpatrick
CB · 2012–2021 · SF 2021, CIN 2012–2019
- Uncommon
Mohamed Sanu
WR · 2012–2021 · SF 2020–2021, CIN 2012–2015
- Uncommon
Eli Apple
DB · 2016–2025 · SF 2025, CIN 2021–2022
- Uncommon
Manny Lawson
OLB · 2006–2016 · SF 2006–2010, CIN 2011–2012
- Uncommon
Garrison Hearst
RB · 1993–2004 · SF 1997–2003, CIN 1996
- Uncommon
Mark Roman
DB · 2000–2009 · SF 2006–2009, CIN 2000–2003
- Uncommon
Madieu Williams
CB · 2004–2012 · SF 2011, CIN 2004–2007
In the middle
Real answers, but not the first ones people think of.
- Rare
Brentson Buckner
DL · 1994–2005 · SF 1998–2000, CIN 1997
- Rare
Darqueze Dennard
CB · 2014–2021 · SF 2021, CIN 2014–2019
- Rare
Jerome Simpson
WR · 2008–2015 · SF 2015, CIN 2008–2011
- Rare
Oren Burks
LB · 2018–2026 · SF 2022–2023, CIN 2025–2026
- Rare
Tyler Kroft
TE · 2015–2023 · SF 2022, CIN 2015–2018
- Rare
Taylor Mays
SS · 2010–2015 · SF 2010, CIN 2011–2014
- Rare
Hannibal Navies
LB · 1999–2007 · SF 2006–2007, CIN 2005
- Rare
Trent Taylor
WR · 2017–2024 · SF 2017–2020, 2024, CIN 2021–2022
- Rare
Josh Johnson
QB · 2008–2025 · SF 2014, 2022, CIN 2013
- Rare
Jordan Willis
DL · 2017–2022 · SF 2020–2022, CIN 2017–2019
- Rare
Jordan Jefferson
DL · 2024–2025 · SF 2025, CIN 2025
- Rare
Tanner Hudson
TE · 2018–2026 · SF 2021, CIN 2023–2026
- Rare
Brian Hill
RB · 2017–2021 · SF 2021, CIN 2017
- Rare
Dan Skuta
LB · 2009–2016 · SF 2013–2014, CIN 2009–2012
- Rare
Todd Kelly
LB · 1993–1996 · SF 1993–1994, CIN 1995–1996
- Rare
Nick McCloud
DB · 2021–2026 · SF 2024, CIN 2021
- Rare
Tom Savage
QB · 2014–2018 · SF 2018, CIN 2018
- Rare
Brandon Allen
QB · 2016–2025 · SF 2023–2024, CIN 2020–2022
- Rare
J.T. O'Sullivan
QB · 2002–2010 · SF 2008, CIN 2009
- Rare
John Johnson
LB · 1991–1995 · SF 1991–1993, CIN 1994
- Rare
Alfred Williams
LB · 1991–1999 · SF 1995, CIN 1991–1994
- Rare
Anthony Zettel
DL · 2016–2020 · SF 2019, CIN 2019
- Rare
Trent Brown
T · 2015–2026 · SF 2015–2017, CIN 2024
- Rare
Davontae Harris
DB · 2018–2022 · SF 2021, CIN 2018
- Rare
Khalid Kareem
DL · 2020–2026 · SF 2026, CIN 2020–2021
- Rare
Artie Smith
DL · 1993–1998 · SF 1993–1994, CIN 1994–1996
- Rare
Alan Grant
DB · 1990–1994 · SF 1992–1993, CIN 1993
- Rare
Steve Bush
TE · 1997–2005 · SF 2004–2005, CIN 1997–2000
- Rare
Kirk Scrafford
OL · 1990–1998 · SF 1995–1998, CIN 1990–1992
- Epic
Adrian Hardy
DB · 1993–1995 · SF 1993–1994, CIN 1994–1995
The rarest links
The players almost nobody names first, and the biggest bonus in a puzzle.
- Epic
Angel Rubio
DL · 1998–1999 · SF 1998, CIN 1998
- Epic
Greg Mabin
DB · 2017–2022 · SF 2017–2018, CIN 2019
- Epic
Brock Gutierrez
OL · 1996–2005 · SF 2003–2004, CIN 1996–2002
- Epic
Jim Maxwell
LB · 2004–2008 · SF 2005, CIN 2007–2008
- Epic
Ralph Tamm
OL · 1990–1999 · SF 1992–1994, CIN 1991
- Epic
Randy Kirk
LB · 1990–1999 · SF 1996–1999, CIN 1992–1993
- Epic
Randy Neal
LB · 1995–1998 · SF 1998, CIN 1995–1996
- Epic
Marcus Maxwell
WR · 2005–2007 · SF 2005, CIN 2007
Teams are counted as franchises, so earlier cities and names are included (the Raiders in Oakland, the Rams in St. Louis, the Titans as the Oilers). Rarity tiers come from the same scoring The Chains uses in its daily puzzles. A small set of one-season 2002 entries that couldn't be verified is left out.
More 49ers matchups
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More Bengals matchups
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