Cincinnati Bengals and Detroit Lions players: who played for both

Who played for both the Bengals and Lions?

60 players were on both the Cincinnati Bengals and the Detroit Lions rosters between 1960 and 2026, including Josh Johnson, Jon Kitna, Gus Frerotte and Kevin Zeitler. 35 of them were with the Bengals first and 19 with the Lions first; 6 joined both in the same season.

Did you know?

  • Al Randolph is the earliest on this list to complete the pair: Bengals first, then the Lions from 1972.
  • Joe Bachie is the most recent: Bengals first, then the Lions from 2026.
  • Rodney Holman spent the most seasons across the two: 11 with the Bengals and 3 with the Lions.
  • 5 of them had two or more separate spells with one of the teams, such as Josh Johnson.
  • Most common positions on this list: OL (8), DB (8), QB (7), DL (6).

How many can you name?

Name players who were on both the Bengals and the Lions. The surname is enough. 0 / 60

All 60 players, most seasons first

Seasons on each roster (1960–2026). A gap of a season or more starts a new spell.
PlayerPosBengalsLions
Josh JohnsonQB2013, 20262019
Jon KitnaQB2001–20052006–2008
Gus FrerotteQB20021999
Kevin ZeitlerOL2012–20162024
Rodney HolmanTE1982–19921993–1995
Dan WilkinsonDT1994–19972003–2005
Bracy WalkerSS1994–19962002–2005
Josh BynesLB20202014–2016
Marvin JonesWR2012–20152016–2020, 2023
Nick HarrisP2001–20032003–2010, 2012
Riley ReiffOL20212012–2016
DJ ReaderDL2020–20232024–2025
Dave PureiforyDL19781978–1982
Scott MitchellQB2000–20011994–1998
Andre CollinsLB1995–19971999
Brock GutierrezC1996–20022005
Jeff DriskelQB2016–20192019
Mike DanielsDL2020–20212019
Mohamed SanuWR2012–20152020
Vern HollandOL1971–19791980
Al RandolphDB19721972
Cedric PeermanRB2010–20172009
Wallace GilberryDE2012–20162016
Dick JauronDB1978–19801973–1977
J.T. O'SullivanQB20092007
Jamar FletcherCB20082006
Jamon MeredithT20142010
Marquand ManuelSS2002–20032009
Michael BrimDB1993–19951989
Rudi JohnsonRB2001–20072008
Sam WycheQB1968–19701974
Tre FlowersDB2021–20222025
Clarence ChapmanDB1980–19811985
Guy DennisOL1969–19721973–1975
James GriffinDB1983–19851986–1989
Joe BachieLB2021–20242026
Landon JohnsonOLB2004–20072010
Russell BodineOL2014–20172020
Austin SeibertK20202021–2022
Brad OatesOL19811978
Kasim EdebaliLB20182017
Langston MooreDT2003–20042006–2008
Sheldon WhiteDB19931990–1992
Anthony ZettelDL20192016–2017
Christian RingoDL2017–20182017
Ogemdi NwagbuoDT20132012
Orson CharlesTE2012–20132016
Tony McRaeDB2016–20192020
Blue AdamsSS20072003
Devin CochranOL2023–20242025–2026
Jonathan WadeCB20102010
Marquis FlowersLB2014, 20162018
Marvin WhiteFS2007–2008, 20102009
Orien HarrisDT2008–20092009
Tra CarsonRB2016–20182019
Isaiah WilliamsWR20242024
Jack LinnOL19931992–1993
Ian SunterK19801976
Isaiah ThomasDL20242024
Patrick BodyCB20052007

From the nflverse roster files (CC BY 4.0), refreshed 2026-10-06. A season counts when the player was on the roster: from 2002 on, at least one regular-season or playoff week as active, injured reserve or inactive (practice squad alone does not count); 1960–2001 use the season rosters.

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More “played for both” lists

Cincinnati Bengals and…

Cardinals 84Browns 74Commanders 72Buccaneers 7149ers 67Chargers 66Jets 65Raiders 64Patriots 64Dolphins 61

Detroit Lions and…

Colts 117Cardinals 116Browns 111Saints 111Falcons 110Dolphins 109Rams 108Seahawks 107Commanders 10649ers 105

All team pairs

Questions

How many players have played for both the Cincinnati Bengals and the Detroit Lions?

60 in the nflverse roster files from 1960 to 2026, including Josh Johnson, Jon Kitna, Gus Frerotte and Kevin Zeitler. Players whose time with one of the teams was practice squad only, or before 1960, are not counted.

Who was the first player on this list to play for both?

Al Randolph: Cincinnati Bengals first, then the Detroit Lions from 1972.

Who has played for both recently?

Josh Johnson, DJ Reader, Tre Flowers, Joe Bachie and Devin Cochran, with a season on one of the two rosters in 2025 or 2026.

Does a player count if the team has moved or changed its name?

Yes. Seasons count for today's franchise, the way the league keeps team history. Neither of these teams has moved since 1960.

Rosters from nflverse (CC BY 4.0). Team logos are trademarks of their respective teams (logos via TheSportsDB). Independent and not affiliated with the NFL or any team. Credits