TEAM SUPER BOWL HISTORY
Have the Cincinnati Bengals Ever Won a Super Bowl?
No. The Cincinnati Bengals have never won a Super Bowl. Cincinnati is 0–3. All three losses were decided by five points or fewer.
That record spans three quarterbacks and three distinct eras. Ken Anderson, Boomer Esiason and Joe Burrow each took the Bengals to the final game, and each team still had a path to the championship late in the fourth quarter.
Records reviewed through Super Bowl LX on February 8, 2026.
- Super Bowl Titles
- 0
- Super Bowl Appearances
- 3
- Super Bowl Record
- 0–3
- Last Appearance
- 2022 / Super Bowl LVI
Three Trips, Three One-Score Losses
Cincinnati’s Super Bowl history is not built on blowouts. The Bengals lost 26–21, 20–16 and 23–20. San Francisco stopped one comeback at the goal line and won another with a 92-yard drive. Decades later, the Rams needed a late touchdown and one final defensive stand.
The quarterbacks changed, the coaches changed and the league changed. The margins barely did. Cincinnati was never more than one possession away at the end of any appearance.
COMPLETE APPEARANCE RECORD
Every Cincinnati Bengals Super Bowl Appearance
| Year | Super Bowl | Opponent | Result | Final score | MVP | Stadium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Super Bowl XVI | San Francisco 49ers | Loss | San Francisco 49ers 26, Bengals 21 | Joe Montana | Pontiac Silverdome |
| 1989 | Super Bowl XXIII | San Francisco 49ers | Loss | San Francisco 49ers 20, Bengals 16 | Jerry Rice | Joe Robbie Stadium |
| 2022 | Super Bowl LVI | Los Angeles Rams | Loss | Los Angeles Rams 23, Bengals 20 | Cooper Kupp | SoFi Stadium |
Cincinnati Was Never Far Away
Super Bowl LVI was the narrowest by final margin, a 23–20 loss to the Rams. Cincinnati led 20–16 in the second half and was still protecting a four-point advantage deep into the fourth quarter. Cooper Kupp’s touchdown put Los Angeles ahead, but the Bengals reached midfield with one more chance.
Aaron Donald ended it by pressuring Joe Burrow on fourth-and-1 before the route could develop. The three-point margin fits the larger pattern: every Cincinnati Super Bowl remained open late, but the Bengals never finished the last drive that would have changed the result.
GAME-BY-GAME HISTORY
Cincinnati Bengals Super Bowl Results, Explained
1982 · San Francisco 49ers
Super Bowl XVI
San Francisco 49ers 26, Bengals 21
- Location
- Pontiac Silverdome · Pontiac, Michigan
- MVP
- Joe Montana
Turning point: San Francisco stopped the Bengals on four plays from inside the 3-yard line in the third quarter.
The Bengals fell behind 20–0, then Ken Anderson started pulling them back into the game. Cincinnati reached the San Francisco 1-yard line in the third quarter but came away empty after four plays. That stand preserved the cushion the 49ers needed while Anderson kept applying pressure in the second half.
1989 · San Francisco 49ers
Super Bowl XXIII
San Francisco 49ers 20, Bengals 16
- Location
- Joe Robbie Stadium · Miami, Florida
- MVP
- Jerry Rice
Turning point: Joe Montana drove San Francisco 92 yards and found John Taylor for the winning touchdown with 34 seconds left.
Stanford Jennings’ kickoff-return touchdown gave Cincinnati a fourth-quarter lead, and Jim Breech’s field goal made it 16–13 with 3:20 left. Montana then took the 49ers 92 yards, completing the drive with a touchdown pass to John Taylor. The Bengals were 34 seconds from forcing San Francisco to answer after the kick instead of celebrating the win.
2022 · Los Angeles Rams
Super Bowl LVI
Los Angeles Rams 23, Bengals 20
- Location
- SoFi Stadium · Inglewood, California
- MVP
- Cooper Kupp
Turning point: Kupp scored the go-ahead touchdown with 1:25 left, and Donald forced an incompletion on Cincinnati’s final fourth down.
Cincinnati moved ahead early in the second half and still led 20–16 when the Rams began their final touchdown drive. Matthew Stafford kept finding Cooper Kupp, who scored with 1:25 remaining. The Bengals reached midfield, but Aaron Donald’s pressure on fourth-and-1 ended the last possession before Joe Burrow could get the ball to Ja’Marr Chase downfield.
Three Different Eras, the Same Narrow Finish
Anderson’s team climbed back from a 20-point halftime deficit. Esiason’s group took a lead on Stanford Jennings’ kickoff return before Joe Montana answered. Burrow’s Bengals led in the second half against a Rams team playing in its home stadium.
There is no single Cincinnati formula across the three games. The link is competitive distance: five points, four points and three points. The championship was close enough to see every time, and just out of reach at the end.