By Adam Gretz | Last updated Aug 23, 2025 9:39 AM ET
The Cincinnati Bengals do not have the best reputation when it comes to their willingness to spend money.
They have been regarded as one of the cheapest teams in the league over how much they are willing to pay players, over their front office, coaching, scouting staff and for pretty much anything else that comes with running a professional sports franchise.
Now, one of their all-time greatest players is putting them on blast for the way they invited him to the team’s Ring of Honor ceremony in October.
Former quarterback Boomer Esiason revealed on his radio show on Friday that his invite to the Oct. 26 ceremony wasn’t exactly one that made him willing to jump up and rush back to Cincinnati.
Instead of a personal invite, Esiason revealed that he received a form-letter email that he had to RSVP with for the ceremony, two tickets to the game with the opportunity to purchase more on his own and a group rate for a hotel that he would have to book himself, while also providing his own transportation.
Here is the entire story from Esiason.
On one hand, the common fan is not really going to understand his gripe here, and he might even come off as a little entitled. Maybe spoiled.
Maybe even something of a jerk.
But, is he wrong when you consider the context?
The context being, he is a former professional athlete who is already in the Bengals’ ring of honor and a player who made significant contributions to the franchise.
He is one of the top quarterbacks — and players — to ever suit up for the team. Usually, teams go out of their way to roll out the red carpet for those players and bring them back for events like this.
At least, that is probably the type of treatment players are accustomed to from multi-billion-dollar professional sports teams.
Could Esiason afford his own plane ticket and hotel room? Could he buy his own tickets to the game? Absolutely.
He was a starting quarterback in the NFL for over a decade and is one of the highest-profile radio hosts on the top sports talk channel in the country.
He’s probably doing fine financially. A trip to Cincinnati probably is not out of his budget.
Still, it’s the lack of effort from the Bengals that really stands out here, and it’s not a great look for a franchise that doesn’t have the best reputation when it comes to spending money.
Yeah, Esiason can afford it. But so can the Bengals. And if they wanted him — and any other player — to show up, they could at least make it worth their while and a little easier for them.
This story also caught the attention of former Bengals running back Corey Dillon, who delivered his own shot at the team on social media.
Tough look all around for the Bengals to have former players — all-time great players for the franchise — calling them out.
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