Carlos Dunlaps departure is fine by Bengals career sack leader Eddie Edwards

April 30, 2024

Eddie Edwards has owned the Bengals’ career sack record for nearly 40 years, almost as long as sacks have been an official category.

That happened in 1982, five years after the Bengals made him the No. 3 overall pick in 1977.

Officially, at least as the NFL views it, Edwards recorded 47.5 sacks. But the Bengals went back through all of Edwards’ games from 1977-81 and credited him with another 36, and they recognize him as the franchise leader with 83.5.

It’s always been a point of pride for the 66-year-old Edwards, but the time had come to relinquish his crown.

Or so he thought.

Carlos Dunlap recorded career sack 82.5 in Week 5 at Baltimore, and Edwards was prepared — although admittedly not thrilled — to pass the torch. Then Dunlap did the whole distraction thing to where the Bengals had to trade him and he left for Seattle one sack shy.

I spoke with Edwards this week about his career, the record and Dunlap’s close call:

Had you been following the team enough to know that Carlos was that close to your record?

Oh, yeah. As a matter of fact, the last time I was in Cincinnati when they brought back the ’88 Super Bowl team, I met him. We took a picture in the end zone of me shaking his hand and everything. So I got a chance to talk to him. He’s a good guy. A heck of a kid. I know he’s a young man, but I’m going to say ‘kid’ because I’m older than him. I liked him, and I told him I wished him well and wished him a great season.

Were you rooting for him to break the record or in the back of your mind were you hoping he didn’t?

No, I wasn’t rooting for him. But he was close on it. Matter of fact, I’d already given up. I was like, ‘Oh, he’s gonna get it.’ When they traded him, they had nine games left. I’m sitting here doing the math, and even though he ain’t starting and doing that little spot job, coming in on third-and-long or whatever, he was gonna get it in my mind. But I wasn’t mad, because records are made to be broken, right? It was a matter of time. I couldn’t feel too bad. I held that record for a while. I said, “OK, it’s time for another sackmaster to take over now.” A lot of reporters called me wanting to do an interview. You called me a few times. But I wanted to wait until he did it before I said something. I didn’t want to jinx him. I knew he was gonna get it, and then look what happened, he got traded.

Now you have to worry about Geno Atkins, who is eight behind you. Have you met him?

No, I haven’t met him. Eight away, you say? So another year. Or maybe not. I wonder if he’ll even be around next year?

Carlos Dunlap might no longer be a threat to Eddie Edwards’ record, but Geno Atkins is still in striking distance. (David Kohl / USA Today)

What have you been up to since you retired 32 years ago?

Man, I ain’t doing nothing. Staying home for right now, you know. I’m living in Florida, doing a little fishing and just laying back and relaxing, enjoying this sunshine. I’m retired.

I went back and looked this up. Do you remember who your last sack, No. 83.5, was against?

Oh, man. You’re going way back on me. You’re going to make me pull the spider webs out this old brain of mine. My last sack? No, I sure don’t. I’m going back through 1988, and I was hurt most of that last year. I don’t know if I got a sack at all that year.

You did. You shared a sack with David Fulcher in Philadelphia. It was Randall Cunningham …

Randall Cunningham? That would have been ’88. The second or third game (it was the second). You’re right. Because I got hurt in that game. And I’ll never forget the guy who cracked back on me — David Rimington. He was a center with the Bengals before he went to the Eagles. He came out of Nebraska. I’ll never forget it. He circled back on me and it was a cheap shot. He really did. He chopped blocked me. I missed like five or six games that year.

I couldn’t look up your first one because sacks weren’t officially tracked, so do you remember who it was against?

No, I can’t. I wish I could. But I’ll tell you what game I can remember, the one where I got five sacks on the Cleveland Browns. Brian Sipe. I can remember that game (Dec. 21, 1980). That was fun getting five sacks against the Browns. You know, I root for the Steelers today when they aren’t playing the Bengals. I got to know those guys playing them twice every year in our division. But the Cleveland Browns? Oh, my god. I don’t care if they’re playing Little Sisters of the Blind, I’m rooting for the Little Sisters of the Blind. You hear me? I can’t stand them Browns. It was the Battle of Ohio. That’s the first thing they taught us when we got to Cincinnati. I’ll never forget that. I remember Paul Brown, when we played the Cleveland Browns, he was psyched up the whole week. He’d be out at practice saying, ‘Edwards, come on. We’re playing the Browns this week. We need everything.’ Yes, sir. I’ll never root for them.

You mentioned the Super Bowl. If they counted postseason stats on the official total, you’d have 84.5 career sacks because you got one against Dan Fouts in the Freezer Bowl to get to that first Super Bowl. Do you remember that sack?

I remember it was cold. That’s what I remember about that game. We figured we had a little advantage in that game. We had a coach and a fierce leader, Forrest Gregg now. He told us to just act like it was 80 degrees out there and we believed it was 80 degrees. The offensive line dressed like it was 80 degrees. They wanted to be show-offs with no sleeves on. So, you know, the defensive line said, “C’mon. They can’t outshine us.” So we took ours off, too. I had on maybe five or six short-sleeve shirts. It was a cold game, but we were built for the cold that year.

I read once that you were the only one who got frostbite in that game. Is that right?

Oh, yeah. When I go somewhere that it’s cold, I still get a tingling in my ear right now today. It was frozen, man. I remember sitting next to Isaac Curtis, and those receivers had to keep their hands warm. He had one of those hand warmers. I said, “Man, my head’s so cold I can’t feel nothing.” He gave me that hand warmer and said, “Put this on it.” So I put it up there. I was just trying to get the feeling back in my ear. But it was frozen. You know a frozen piece of meat you put in the top of the freezer? It takes a little while to thaw out. So I put this hand warmer up to it, and it was frying and creaking, and I still couldn’t feel nothing. When I took it off, it took all the skin off. I had a white ear and a black ear. Yeah, I remember that game. But you know what I regret and I hate? I wish the Bengals would have brought back that first Super Bowl team from Super Bowl XVI. To me, it was more special than the last one. That first one, we came a long way. Went from 4-12 to the Super Bowl. We bought into the system the coaches were teaching us and it was so special because we went through those losing seasons. And the Bengals have never brought that Super Bowl team back. I don’t know what they’re waiting on. The 40th anniversary? Most of us are going to be dead. Who’s going to come? Our kids? Our grandkids? I wish they would do something for that first Super Bowl team. I’ve been talking to a lot of guys from that team. I wish they could be a part of what I was a part of when I went back for the Super Bowl XXIII reunion. A lot of those guys on the 1981 team came in together and we went through a lot.

Super Bowl XXIII was the last game you ever played. Did you know that was going to be it when you got dressed for that game?

Oh, yes. When you play this game for so long, you pretty much can tell when your name is on the wall. You can tell. It’s a young man’s game and you know when you’re getting old and are ready to go. I knew that was my last year. I wanted to end it where I started, down in Miami. From the University of Miami to the Super Bowl. After that, it was time to give it up. You can tell you done had your ride. Twelve years, same team. Can’t too many guys say that. I had a good career there.

Do you ever think about how you would fare in today’s game?

Yeah, because most of the teams now are running a four-man line. I wish I would’ve been on a team that ran a four-man line. We ran that 3-4, and you’ve got that guard sitting there waiting after you done beat the tackle. But one-on-one, I figured nine out of 10 times one-on-one, I’m going to get there. But I had to deal with the guard or a running back or something. And they don’t count the sacks I got when somebody jumped offsides. There had to have been a dozen in my lifetime that I thought I had, but somebody jumped offsides and they done took it off the board. I always think about that. But no doubt, if I would’ve played for a team with a four-man line, I would’ve been in the 100-something-sack range. No doubt.

Well, maybe I’ll call you back if Geno breaks your record, would that be OK?

We’ll see if he does it. I can’t believe Carlos didn’t get it. If I had been two sacks away and nine games left to break the all-time Bengals sack record, or any team, I would’ve rode it out. Yes, I would’ve. I had already given it to him. I don’t care if you’re starting or not. That’s even better for him if he’s not starting because he doesn’t have to play the run. He’s going in there on third-and-long laying his ears back. Shoot. I would’ve been glad to play that role for about two years. Third-and-long. OK. Whatever. I’ll go in there and do it, whatever it takes because it’s a team sport. I think Carlos saw it a little different. I would’ve waited it out, but I’m glad he didn’t. He was on my back. That was a close call. He was breathing down my neck. I could smell his breath. Now it’s Geno Atkins I’ve got to worry about. But he’s going to have to do it this year. I don’t think he’ll be there next year. My record will be around a little longer. I still have bragging rights. I can still say I’m the Bengals’ all-time sacks leader.

(Top photo: George Gojkovich / Getty Images)

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