1996 Cincinnati Bengals season
The 1996 Cincinnati Bengals season was the team's 29th year in professional football and its 27th with the National Football League. The Dave Shula era comes to a sudden end when he is fired after a 1–6 start, as Jeff Blake struggles with turnovers. Former Bengals TE Bruce Coslet, former New York Jets head coach, and the team's offensive coordinator, would replace Shula as head coach. The move paid off right away as the Bengals won the first 3 games under Coslet. After losing two of their next three games, the Bengals closed the year with three straight wins to finish with an 8–8 record. One bright spot during the season, was that WR Carl Pickens became the first member of the Bengals to have 100 receptions in a season.Offseason
NFL Draft
| Player | Position | College |
| Nick Ferguson | Safety | Georgia Tech |
| Chris Hetherington | Fullback | Yale |
| Damon Huard | Quarterback | Washington |
| Tim Morabito | Defensive tackle | Boston College |
Personnel
Staff
Roster
Regular season
Schedule
Standings
Passing
Rushing
Receiving
Defensive
Kicking and punting
| Player | Punts | Yards | Long | Blkd | Avg. |
| Lee Johnson | 80 | 3630 | 67 | 1 | 45.4 |
Awards and records
- Carl Pickens, Franchise Record, Most Receptions in One Season, 100 Receptions
- Carl Pickens, Led AFC, Receptions, 100 Receptions
Milestones
- Carl Pickens, 3rd 1000 Yard Receiving Season, 1,180 yards
