Players who played for both the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Chargers

39 NFL players have suited up for both franchises. Here they all are, ranked the way The Chains ranks them, most recognizable first.

Players

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 Bengals player to a Chargers player through John Brannon 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 puzzle

Easy to name

Common and Uncommon. The easiest answers between these two teams.

Takeo Spikes
LB · 1998–2012 · CIN 1998–2002, LAC 2011–2012
Common
Eli Apple
DB · 2016–2025 · CIN 2021–2022, LAC 2024
Uncommon
Hayden Hurst
TE · 2018–2024 · CIN 2022, LAC 2024
Uncommon
Lorenzo Neal
RB · 1993–2008 · CIN 2001–2002, LAC 2003–2007
Uncommon
Steve Foley
LB · 1998–2005 · CIN 1998–2001, LAC 2004–2005
Uncommon
Nick Vigil
LB · 2016–2024 · CIN 2016–2019, LAC 2020
Uncommon
Jamar Fletcher
DB · 2001–2008 · CIN 2008, LAC 2004–2005
Uncommon
Lawrence Guy
DE · 2012–2024 · CIN 2024, LAC 2013–2014
Uncommon
Kelley Washington
WR · 2003–2010 · CIN 2003–2006, LAC 2010
Uncommon
Rogers Beckett
DB · 2000–2004 · CIN 2003–2004, LAC 2000–2002
Uncommon

In the middle

Real answers, but not the first ones people think of.

Alex Erickson
WR · 2016–2024 · CIN 2016–2020, LAC 2023
Rare
Gerald Dixon
LB · 1992–2001 · CIN 1996–1997, LAC 1998–2001
Rare
Christian Covington
NT · 2015–2022 · CIN 2020, LAC 2021–2022
Rare
Corey Lynch
FS · 2008–2013 · CIN 2008, LAC 2012
Rare
Jimmy Spencer
DB · 1992–2003 · CIN 1996–1997, LAC 1998–1999
Rare
Brian Brennan
WR · 1990–1992 · CIN 1992, LAC 1992
Rare
Mike Goff
OL · 1998–2009 · CIN 1998–2003, LAC 2004–2008
Rare
Trayveon Williams
RB · 2019–2025 · CIN 2019–2024, LAC 2025
Rare
J.T. O'Sullivan
QB · 2002–2010 · CIN 2009, LAC 2010
Rare
Bo Orlando
DB · 1990–1998 · CIN 1996–1997, LAC 1995
Rare
Steve Tovar
LB · 1993–2000 · CIN 1993–1997, LAC 1998, 2000
Rare
Eric Bieniemy
RB · 1991–1999 · CIN 1995–1998, LAC 1991–1994
Rare
Fred Bennett
CB · 2007–2010 · CIN 2010, LAC 2010
Rare
Davontae Harris
DB · 2018–2022 · CIN 2018, LAC 2021
Rare
Bobby Hart
T · 2015–2025 · CIN 2018–2020, LAC 2025
Rare
Dave Rayner
K · 2005–2011 · CIN 2008, LAC 2007
Rare
Todd Philcox
QB · 1990–1998 · CIN 1990, 1994, LAC 1997
Rare
Skip McClendon
DL · 1990–1993 · CIN 1990–1991, LAC 1991
Rare
Eric Ghiaciuc
C · 2005–2009 · CIN 2005–2008, LAC 2009
Rare
Andrew Brown
DL · 2019–2022 · CIN 2019–2020, LAC 2021
Rare
Malik Jefferson
LB · 2018–2023 · CIN 2018, LAC 2020
Rare
Tony Savage
DL · 1990–1992 · CIN 1992, LAC 1990–1992
Rare
George Hinkle
DL · 1990–1993 · CIN 1993, LAC 1990–1991
Rare

The rarest links

The players almost nobody names first, and the biggest bonus in a puzzle.

Jason Perry
DB · 1999–2002 · CIN 2002, LAC 1999–2001
Rare
Mike Withycombe
OL · 1991–1993 · CIN 1991–1992, LAC 1993
Rare
Trevor Robinson
C · 2012–2016 · CIN 2012–2013, LAC 2014–2016
Epic
Randy Kirk
LB · 1990–1999 · CIN 1992–1993, LAC 1991
Epic
John Jackson
OL · 1990–2001 · CIN 2000–2001, LAC 1998–1999
Epic
John Brannon
DB · 2020–2021 · CIN 2021, LAC 2020
Epic

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.

Players who played for both the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Chargers

Easy to name

In the middle

The rarest links

More Bengals matchups

More Chargers matchups