Anderson May Return to Back Up Bengals’ Esiason

The Cincinnati Bengals consider it to be more than a passing fancy that Ken Anderson will return to play another season, but the veteran quarterback isn’t saying.

If Anderson returns, he is most likely to be the backup quarterback to third-year pro Norman (Boomer) Esiason, the former University of Maryland star who won the Bengals’ No. 1 job from Anderson next season. That means the Bengals will trade their other reserve quarterback, Turk Schonert, who has been effective in moving the team as a substitute in recent seasons but was relegated to the bench again in 1985.

“His intention is to play,” Mike Brown, the Bengals’ assistant general manager, said of Anderson. “Our understanding is he plans to play, and we’re going ahead accordingly.

“We are unlikely to go ahead next year with both Anderson and Schonert,” Brown said. “We are aware we’ve got a situation that doesn’t please the parties involved. It’s something we’re working to correct.”

Schonert complained last season about his lack of playing time. Anderson was unhappy about a possible No. 3 ranking among the three quarterbacks.

“In Kenny’s case, we wouldn’t want to trade him unless he wants to be traded,” Brown said. “He has earned his spot here.”

Anderson, whose 37th birthday was Feb. 15, has played 15 years for the Bengals, holds several National Football League records and helped lead the team to the Super Bowl in a 26-21 loss to San Francisco in January 1982. He is still not saying publicly whether he will return in 1986.

“There’s been no commitment by anybody,” he said. “We’ll keep talking to each other and see what happens.”

Anderson, who owns two beer distributorships and has a law school degree, said that trading Schonert isn’t a prerequisite for an Anderson return.

“I’m not sure that would be a decisive factor,” Anderson said. “It’s not all that cut and dried.”

Anderson has been working out regularly this winter at the Bengals’ Spinney Field practice complex in Cincinnati.

A five-time performer in the Pro Bowl, Anderson has been the NFL’s most efficient passer in four seasons and set the league’s all-time pass completion percentage record in 1982 with 70.6 to break the mark of 70.3 held by Sammy Baugh since 1937.

In 1982, Anderson set another NFL record when he completed 20 consecutive passes in Cincinnati’s 35-27 victory over Houston in the Astrodome. He also set an all-time league record in 1974 against Pittsburgh for passing efficiency in a single game when he completed 90.91% of his aerials.