Former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson and offensive lineman Willie Anderson are two of the best players in franchise history, but they didn't get into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year. Both of them lost narrow elections in their respective categories, per Bengals.com's Geoff Hobson.

Ken Anderson played from 1971 to 1986, all with the Bengals. The Illinois native was a four-time Pro Bowler, two-time NFL passing yards leader, three-time completion percentage leader, and four-time passer rating leader. He also won the MVP award in 1981, when he led Cincinnati to its first Super Bowl appearance.

Meanwhile, Willie Anderson was a four-time All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler. The former Auburn Tiger played for the Bengals from 1996 to 2007, then spent his final season with the Baltimore Ravens in 2008. He's also the AFC's highest-rated right tackle ever.

Pro football historian and Hall of Fame consultant Ryan Michael advocated for both players to get into the Hall, per Hobson.

"Kenny and Willie Anderson's on-field resumes speak for themselves," Michael said. "For Kenny, at the time of his retirement in 1987, he was the highest rated passer in the history of the AFC and the highest rated passer in post-merger playoff history."

"For Willie, per Pro Football Reference's Approximate Value metric, the most dominant right tackle in the history of the AFC and third all-time at the position behind only Hall of Famers Ron Yary and Jackie Slater … The momentum in support of their legacies has been deafening," he continued.

Both players are not only Bengals Ring of Honor members but also on the Bengals 50th Anniversary Team. They're not only two of the greatest in franchise history, but of their respective eras.

Ken Anderson was a value pick in the draft, as Cincinnati snagged him No. 67 overall in 1971. He wasn't a star prospect, as he played for Augustana College in Illinois, which is a Division III school.

Anderson became the regular starter in 1972 before leading the NFL in yards and completion percentage in 1974. He also won the NFL Man of the Year award in 1975, which honors a player's philanthropy. 

Additionally, Anderson won Comeback Player of the Year honors in 1981 and was the team's primary quarterback until 1984. Fellow franchise legend Boomer Esiason replaced him during the 1985 campaign, and he retired in 1986.

 Willie Anderson was the Bengals' No. 10 overall pick in 1996. The 6-foot-5, 340-pounder played 195 games (184 starts) in his career and allowed just 11 quarterback pressures in 2006, which was the fourth-fewest by an offensive tackle in a season between 2006 and 2019.