Bengals Super Bowl Appearances: Dates, Scores and Game Histories
Cincinnati is 0–3 in Super Bowls. See all three Bengals appearances by season, game date, opponent and score, plus how each game unfolded.
The Cincinnati Bengals have made three Super Bowl appearances and have not won one. Their record is 0–3 through Super Bowl LX, played in February 2026. Cincinnati reached the game after the 1981, 1988 and 2021 seasons, losing twice to the San Francisco 49ers and once to the Los Angeles Rams. Each defeat came by five points or fewer. Source: Pro Football Reference’s Super Bowl results
Every Bengals Super Bowl appearance
The season year and game year differ: all three Bengals Super Bowls were played in the calendar year following the regular season.
| NFL season | Super Bowl | Game date | Opponent | Result | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | XVI | January 24, 1982 | San Francisco 49ers | Lost 26–21 | Pontiac Silverdome |
| 1988 | XXIII | January 22, 1989 | San Francisco 49ers | Lost 20–16 | Joe Robbie Stadium |
| 2021 | LVI | February 13, 2022 | Los Angeles Rams | Lost 23–20 | SoFi Stadium |
Dates, opponents, scores and venues: Pro Football Reference. Results are shown with the winning team’s score first.
Super Bowl XVI: Ken Anderson’s Bengals fall short
Cincinnati’s first trip followed a 12–4 season under head coach Forrest Gregg, with quarterback Ken Anderson earning NFL Most Valuable Player honors. The Bengals won their first playoff game by beating Buffalo 28–21, then defeated San Diego 27–7 in the AFC Championship Game—the Freezer Bowl. Source: Bengals’ 1981 history
Against San Francisco, Cincinnati’s four turnovers proved more damaging than its advantage in total yardage. Three giveaways helped the 49ers build a 20–0 halftime lead. A third-quarter goal-line stand then stopped the Bengals on three consecutive plays from the one-yard line.
Anderson threw two fourth-quarter touchdown passes to tight end Dan Ross, but the second left only 16 seconds on the clock. San Francisco recovered the ensuing onside kick to secure its 26–21 victory. Cincinnati had outgained the champions 356 yards to 275 without winning the game. Source: Bengals’ Super Bowl XVI account
Super Bowl XXIII: A late lead undone by Joe Montana
Seven seasons later, head coach Sam Wyche and NFL MVP quarterback Boomer Esiason led another 12–4 Bengals team to the Super Bowl. Home playoff victories over Seattle and Buffalo set up a rematch with the 49ers. Source: Bengals’ 1988 history
This time, Cincinnati held a fourth-quarter lead. Stanford Jennings supplied a 93-yard kickoff-return touchdown, and Jim Breech’s third field goal put the Bengals ahead 16–13 with 3:20 remaining.
Joe Montana answered with a 92-yard, 11-play drive. His 10-yard touchdown pass to John Taylor with 34 seconds left gave San Francisco a 20–16 win. The Bengals had also lost defensive anchor Tim Krumrie to a broken leg early in the first quarter. Source: Bengals’ Super Bowl XXIII account
Super Bowl LVI: Joe Burrow ends the long wait
Cincinnati returned after the 2021 season, its first appearance in 33 years. Head coach Zac Taylor’s Bengals finished 10–7 and won the AFC North. Second-year quarterback Joe Burrow and rookie receiver Ja’Marr Chase powered the offense, while rookie kicker Evan McPherson supplied the winning playoff kicks at Tennessee and Kansas City. Sources: Bengals’ 2021 history, Super Bowl appearance dates
In Super Bowl LVI, Tee Higgins caught touchdowns from both running back Joe Mixon and Burrow. The latter, a 75-yard score to open the second half, gave Cincinnati a 17–13 lead after the extra point; a McPherson field goal extended it to 20–13. Those were the Bengals’ final points. Source: Super Bowl LVI scoring record
The Rams sacked Burrow seven times. Matthew Stafford then led a 79-yard touchdown drive, finding Cooper Kupp for the winning one-yard score with 1:25 remaining. Cincinnati’s last possession ended with an incomplete fourth-down pass under pressure, preserving Los Angeles’s 23–20 victory. Source: Associated Press game report