Stat of the Jay: ROH Finalist Max Montoya Ranks Third in Team History in Impressive Category

CINCINNATI – Many Cincinnati Bengals fans know that Kevin Huber owns the franchise record for most games played after breaking Hall of Famer Ken Riley’s mark in 2022.

Riley played 207 games from 1969-83, but Huber surpassed him in the 2022 season opener on the way to finishing with 216.

Both Riley and Huber played their entire careers in Cincinnati.

There are five other Bengals draft picks who went on to have longer careers, it’s just that they left Cincinnati and played for other teams.

And Ring of Honor finalist Max Montoya is one of them, ranking third among Bengals draft picks with 223 NFL games played.

The Bengals drafted Montoya in the seventh round in 1979, and he went on to play 157 games for the team, which ranks 21st in franchise history.

But following the 1989 season, the Bengals left the Pro Bowl right guard unprotected in Plan B free agency, and the Raiders swooped in to sign him.

Montoya played 66 games in five seasons with the Raiders, earning his fourth Pro Bowl selection in 1993 at the age of 37.

He also was the starting guard in the 1990 Divisional Round playoff win against the Bengals that served as Cincinnati’s last taste of the postseason until Marvin Lewis led the team back in 2005.

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The only Bengals draft picks with more NFL games played than Montoya are Blair Bush and Andrew Whitworth.

Drafted one year prior to Montoya in the first round in 1978, Bush only played 68 of his 246 career games for the Bengals.

Bush played 82 games in six seasons with the Seahawks (1983-88); 48 games in three seasons with the Packers (1989-91) and 48 games in three seasons with the Rams (1992-94).

Whitworth, a second-round pick in 2006, appeared in 168 games in 11 seasons with the Bengals, ranking 14th in team history.

He played 71 games in five seasons with the Rams.

The other two Bengals draft picks with more NFL games played than Huber are 2001 first-round pick Justin Smith (221 – 111 with Bengals, 110 with 49ers) and 1998 first-round pick Takeo Spikes (219 – 79 with Bengals, 47 with Bills, 47 with 49ers, 32 with Chargers and 14 with Eagles).