The Bengals fielded their first team, with an agreement to play two seasons at Nippert Stadium, on the University of Cincinnati campus, during construction of the as-yet-unnamed downtown stadium. The Bengals were placed as the fifth team the AFL's Western Division, bringing league membership to 10. They were awarded 40 veteran players in the AFL allocation draft, but the draft was not generous to Cincinnati, allowing existing teams wide latitude to protect the best talent. Of the 40 selections, only 16 ever played for Cincinnati, and only three would play as many as four seasons. G Pat Matson of Oregon, obtained from the Denver Broncos, would play the most Bengals seasons (seven) of any of the expansion draft signees. In the college draft, the Bengals selected Tennessee center Bob Johnson as their first pick. Johnson would go on to play 12 Bengals seasons, with an AFL All-Star game selection. The Bengals played their first preseason game on Aug. 3 at Nippert, losing 38-14 to Kansas City before a crowd of 21,682. Jon Stofa was the starting QB against the Chiefs. In the regular season, the Bengals lost their opener at San Diego, with rookie Dewey Warren as starting QB, but Cincinnati won its next two, posting double-digit margins at home over Denver and Buffalo. The team would win only once more, however, finishing 3-11. Though Warren, a sixth-round draft choice from Tennessee, took the first regular-season snap at QB, Stofa and future Bengals head coach Sam Wyche also saw significant time at QB during the season. Regular-season home attendance averaged 25,766. Rookie RB Paul Robinson led the AFL in rushing with 1023 yards and was named AFL Rookie of the Year.
