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Boomer Esiason Exposes Bengals’ Embarrassing Ring of Honor Rules

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jake Elman | Last updated Aug 22, 2025 11:57 AM ET

Make no mistake, former NFL MVP and longtime NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason was thrilled when he entered the Cincinnati Bengals’ Ring of Honor in September 2023.

Unfortunately for the Bengals, Esiason won’t attend any future Ring of Honor ceremonies, including the Oct. 26 event celebrating former guard Dave Lapham and cornerback Lemar Parrish. Then again, considering his potential absence doesn’t impact the team’s finances, we’re not sure they’d even notice.

Esiason revealed on Friday morning that the Bengals sent him, along with the Ring of Honor’s other seven living players, an email about Lapham and Parrish’s upcoming induction. Not only are the current Ring of Honor players required to pay for their own flights and hotel ro oms, but they’re only given two tickets in the stadium stands.

You read right. If you’re lucky enough, you can share a row with the likes of Anthony Muñoz, Chad Johnson, and Willie Anderson. That alone should be enough incentive not to spill your overpriced soda.

If that wasn’t bad enough, the Bengals required players to notify the team well in advance so that they could secure a hotel room with a discounted code.

“You think I’m an elitist if I say no to that?” Esiason quipped.

The Bengals’ Ring of Honor rules are shameful

To recap, the Bengals — an organization that Forbes valued at $4.1 billion in August 2024 — refuse to cover the cost of flights, hotel rooms, and even a luxury box for some of the greatest players in franchise history.

Just for fun, we did some research. Let’s say that Esiason wanted to fly out of New York on Saturday, Oct. 25. According to Expedia, an American Airlines nonstop flight from New York’s JFK Airport to Cincinnati is as low as $220. If Esiason wanted to return on Monday, he could get a Delta flight for $231. That’s $451 before tax, airline fees, and potentially buying something on the flight.

Factoring in taxes and a small Expedia booking fee, Esiason would need to pay roughly $450 total. The Bengals really couldn’t cover a $450 flight? No wonder they’re nowhere close to an extension with Trey Hendrickson.

The Bengals have a reputation for penny-pinching and stubbornness, though this is a new low even for them. We’ll see whether Esiason putting the Bengals on blast convinces them to change their policies, but you’ll understand why we’re skeptical.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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