Cris Collinsworth Playing Football Career Overview
Cris Collinsworth played professional football as a wide receiver in the NFL for eight seasons from 1981 to 1988. He spent his entire career with the Cincinnati Bengals, appearing in 120 regular season games and catching 462 passes for 6,698 yards and 36 touchdowns. Collinsworth was selected to the Pro Bowl three times between 1981 and 1985 and earned First Team All-Pro honors in 1981 after leading the league with 67 receptions. He played college football at the University of Florida, where he set career receiving records and was named a consensus All-American in 1980 before being drafted in the second round of the 1981 NFL Draft by the Bengals Forbes.
Collinsworth retired after the 1988 season due to injuries, including a serious knee injury sustained in Super Bowl XXIII. His career earnings from NFL contracts during the 1980s were modest by modern standards, with his final seasons reflecting the salary structure of the era before major collective bargaining changes. The total compensation he received across his eight seasons is not publicly itemized in official league filings, but his long term financial position was later shaped by broadcasting and business roles. His transition from the field to media began while he was still playing, as he started doing broadcast work during the off season.
Cris Collinsworth Playing Football Era and Performance Data
Season by Season Receiving Production
In his best statistical season, 1985, Collinsworth recorded 85 receptions for 1,435 yards and 10 touchdowns, ranking among the top receivers in the NFL that year. He averaged 16.9 yards per catch over his career, a mark that reflects his ability to generate big plays after the catch. The Bengals made the Super Bowl three times during his tenure, reaching Super Bowl XVI in January 1982 and Super Bowl XXIII in January 1989, with Collinsworth starting in both championship games.
Key Career Metrics
Collinsworth finished his career with 462 receptions, 6,698 receiving yards, and 36 touchdowns in 120 games, according to official NFL statistics. He ranks among the Bengals all time leading receivers in both yardage and touchdown categories. His 1,435 yard season in 1985 remains one of the highest single season totals by a Bengals receiver in franchise history.
Injuries and Longevity
Collinsworth missed significant time in several seasons due to knee injuries, which ultimately shortened his career. He played through multiple surgeries and chronic knee issues, a common challenge for wide receivers of that era who lacked the advanced sports medicine and recovery protocols available today.
Cris Collinsworth Playing Football Legacy and Current Role
After retiring from playing, Collinsworth moved into broadcasting and became a lead NFL analyst for NBC Sunday Night Football and other networks. He also founded Pro Football Focus, a data and analytics company focused on advanced player performance metrics, which later became part of a broader sports analytics ecosystem. The company provides statistics and grades for players and teams, and Collinsworth has used it to build a second career in sports media and technology.
Collinsworth has also been involved in business ventures outside football, including real estate development and media companies in the Cincinnati area. His post playing career earnings have been driven primarily by broadcasting contracts, analytics work, and private investments rather than football related compensation. He remains a prominent figure in NFL coverage and is frequently cited in discussions about the business of football and sports media SEC filings.