Players who played for both the Cincinnati Bengals and the Minnesota Vikings

36 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 Vikings player through Ron Carpenter 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.

Terence Newman
CB · 2003–2017 · CIN 2012–2014, MIN 2015–2017
Common
Jonathan Allen
DL · 2017–2026 · CIN 2026, MIN 2025
Common
Madieu Williams
CB · 2004–2012 · CIN 2004–2007, MIN 2008–2010
Uncommon
Duane Clemons
LB · 1996–2005 · CIN 2003–2005, MIN 1996–1999
Uncommon
Trae Waynes
CB · 2015–2021 · CIN 2021, MIN 2015–2019
Uncommon
Jerome Simpson
WR · 2008–2015 · CIN 2008–2011, MIN 2012–2013
Uncommon
Mike Doss
SS · 2003–2008 · CIN 2008, MIN 2007
Uncommon
Nick Vigil
LB · 2016–2024 · CIN 2016–2019, MIN 2021, 2023
Uncommon
Gus Frerotte
QB · 1994–2008 · CIN 2002, MIN 2003–2004, 2008
Uncommon
Mackensie Alexander
DB · 2016–2022 · CIN 2020, MIN 2016–2019, 2021
Uncommon
George Iloka
FS · 2012–2020 · CIN 2012–2017, MIN 2018, 2020
Uncommon

In the middle

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

Andre Smith
T · 2009–2021 · CIN 2009–2015, 2017–2019, MIN 2016
Rare
Tony Williams
DL · 1997–2004 · CIN 2001–2004, MIN 1997–2000
Rare
Riley Reiff
T · 2012–2023 · CIN 2021, MIN 2017–2020
Rare
Hardy Nickerson
LB · 2017–2021 · CIN 2017–2019, MIN 2020
Rare
Brian Asamoah II
LB · 2022–2025 · CIN 2025, MIN 2022–2024
Rare
Dalton Risner
OL · 2019–2026 · CIN 2025–2026, MIN 2023–2024
Rare
Irv Smith
TE · 2019–2024 · CIN 2023, MIN 2019–2020, 2022
Rare
Solomon Wilcots
DB · 1990–1992 · CIN 1990, MIN 1991
Rare
J.T. O'Sullivan
QB · 2002–2010 · CIN 2009, MIN 2005
Rare
Todd Kalis
OL · 1990–1995 · CIN 1995, MIN 1990–1993
Rare
David Braxton
LB · 1990–1994 · CIN 1994, MIN 1990
Rare
Michael Brim
DB · 1990–1995 · CIN 1993–1995, MIN 1990
Rare
Emmanuel Lamur
LB · 2012–2018 · CIN 2012, 2014–2015, MIN 2016–2017
Rare
Scottie Graham
RB · 1992–1997 · CIN 1997, MIN 1993–1996
Rare
Skip McClendon
DL · 1990–1993 · CIN 1990–1991, MIN 1992
Rare
Hakeem Adeniji
OL · 2020–2025 · CIN 2020–2022, MIN 2023
Rare
Garrett Mills
TE · 2007–2010 · CIN 2010, MIN 2007–2009
Rare
David Frisch
TE · 1993–1997 · CIN 1993–1994, MIN 1996
Rare
Lee Johnson
SPEC · 1990–2002 · CIN 1990–1998, MIN 2001
Rare
Leonard Wheeler
DB · 1992–1999 · CIN 1992–1996, MIN 1997
Rare

The rarest links

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

Kyle Richardson
SPEC · 1997–2005 · CIN 2003, MIN 2002
Rare
Roosevelt Nix
DL · 1992–1994 · CIN 1992–1993, MIN 1994
Rare
George Hinkle
DL · 1990–1993 · CIN 1993, MIN 1992
Rare
Jason Perry
DB · 1999–2002 · CIN 2002, MIN 2002
Rare
Ron Carpenter
DB · 1993–1999 · CIN 1993, MIN 1993
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 Minnesota Vikings

Easy to name

In the middle

The rarest links

More Bengals matchups

More Vikings matchups