Ranking the top 50 quarterbacks in NFL history…
Drafted in the third round (67th overall) by the Cincinnati Bengals in 1971 out of Augustana College, Ken Anderson spent his entire 16-year NFL career with the Bengals, emerging as one of the league’s most efficient quarterbacks in the 1970s and early 1980s despite playing on inconsistent teams.
Anderson became the full-time starter in 1972, leading Cincinnati to four playoff appearances (1973, 1975, 1981-82). His peak came in 1981, when he threw for a league-high 3,754 yards and 29 touchdowns with just 10 interceptions, earning AP MVP, Offensive Player of the Year and First-Team All-Pro honors while guiding the Bengals to a 12-4 record and [Super Bowl XVI](https://www.49ers.com/news/this-day-in-the-bay-49ers-defeat-cincinnati-bengals-in-super-bowl-xvi), though they lost 26-21 to the San Francisco 49ers.
In 1975, he posted 3,169 yards and 21 touchdowns, securing Second-Team All-Pro and his first Pro Bowl.
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Across 192 games (172 starts), Anderson compiled 32,838 passing yards, 197 touchdowns and 160 interceptions with with an 81.9 passer rating — impressive for the “Dead Ball Era.”
Anderson led the NFL in passer rating four times (1974-75, 1981-82), completion percentage three times and yards per attempt twice. He earned four Pro Bowl selections (1975-76, 1981-82) and ranks high in Bengals franchise records for yards, touchdowns and wins (91).
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Anderson’s standout attributes were his pinpoint accuracy and quick decision-making, adapting from a college sprint-out style to pro drop-back passing.
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Anderson’s playing style was that of a cerebral pocket passer: precise, efficient, and mobile enough to extend plays or scramble for gains.
While overlooked for the Hall of Fame due to no championships and playing in a run-dominant era, his innovative West Coast offense contributions influenced modern schemes.