Like the numbers surrounding it in franchise history, the list of players to wear the No. 40 for the Cincinnati Bengals isn’t littered with instantly familiar names.
Take Charles Alexander, for example. The running back who joined the team in 1979 was in town through the 1985 season, rushing for 2,645 yards and 13 scores as he went.
And in the mid-2000s, Madieu Williams had some solid seasons while wearing the number, which most recently belonged to Brandon Wilson.
As we keep counting down the days until the season begins, here’s a look at every player to wear the number in franchise history, per Pro Football Reference.
Charles Alexander, 1979-1985
Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Myron Bell, 1998-1999
Jonathan Daniel /Allsport
John Busing, 2008
Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
John Holifield, 1989
Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Ron Lamb, 1968-1971
Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Brian Leonard, 2009-2012
Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
David McCluskey, 1987
Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Derron Smith, 2015
Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Pete Watson, 1972
Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Madieu Williams, 2004-2007
Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports Copyright (c) 2006 Jason Bridge
Shawn Williams, 2013
Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Brandon Wilson, 2017-2023
Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports
Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
