Cincinnati Bengals–Kansas City Chiefs Trade History
TradeVerdicts records 5 trades between
Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs across 1969–2023. Historical
franchise identities are normalized to the current franchises here,
while each underlying trade keeps its own sourced date, assets,
grades, and verdict.
This page includes every public TradeVerdicts record in which both
current franchises participate. Multi-team trades remain in the
chronology when both clubs are part of the transaction.
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Complete Matchup Chronology
5 Recorded Trades
Oldest to newest
Trade 1
September 8, 1969
Cincinnati Bengals Win
Cincinnati BengalsC+
Kansas City ChiefsC
Cincinnati Bengals received
Horst Muhlmann
1970 fourth round pick (#104-Billy Hayes / Billie Hayes)
Kansas City Chiefs received
Warren McVea
Cincinnati sent running back Warren McVea to Kansas City for kicker Horst Muhlmann and a 1970 fourth-round pick used on Billie Hayes. McVea immediately helped the Chiefs win Super Bowl IV, but Muhlmann became Cincinnati’s kicker for six seasons and delivered sustained scoring value. The Bengals also kept the draft pick, giving them the slightly stronger long-term return even though Kansas City received the bigger immediate championship contribution.
conditional future draft choice (not conveyed because Belser did not make Cincinnati regular-season roster)
Cincinnati acquired safety Caesar Belser from Kansas City on July 1, 1970, for a conditional future draft choice. The condition never triggered: Cincinnati's own historical transaction record says Belser failed to make the Bengals' regular-season roster, so no pick was actually conveyed. Neither club received lasting football value from the completed terms, making an even grade the fairest result.
Kansas City acquired linebacker Ken Avery from Cincinnati for a future fourth-round choice. Avery gave the Chiefs one season, appearing in all 14 games with five starts in 1975. Cincinnati used the resulting No. 106 pick in 1976 on Tony Davis, who spent three seasons with the Bengals and remained in the NFL for six years. The Bengals receive a modest edge for the longer realized return.
Kansas City moved from No. 54 to No. 46 and also received No. 100, while Cincinnati received picks No. 54 and No. 78 in the 2018 draft. Cincinnati converted the move down into Jessie Bates III and Malik Jefferson, while Kansas City selected Breeland Speaks at No. 46 and Dorian O'Daniel at No. 100. Bates became an elite safety and a foundational defender during his Bengals tenure; Speaks never became a regular Chiefs contributor. That gap makes this one of the clearest wins in the wave.
Kansas City moved up three spots in the 2023 third round for tackle Wanya Morris, sending Cincinnati pick No. 95 and a sixth-rounder. Morris supplied 16 starts across three Chiefs seasons, but the Bengals used No. 95 on safety Jordan Battle, who became a full-time starter and recorded four interceptions and 125 tackles in 2025. Cincinnati also received the extra pick, creating the stronger return.
