Former First-Round Pick Billy Price Announces Retirement Due to Medical Concerns

2018 first-round draft pick Billy Price announced his retirement from the NFL on Saturday, citing possible complications from a blood clot.

“In the blink of an eye, everything can be taken away from me,” Price wrote on Instagram. “On April 24th, I had to undergo emergency pulmonary embolism surgery to remove  saddle blood clots that had invaded both lungs.As a healthy 29-year-old, I had no further medical explanation. Unexplained pulmonary embolism is scary, and I’m so grateful to be alive today.” “Unfortunately, due to the high risk of  internal bleeding while on blood thinners, I have decided to retire from the NFL.”

Price, a center, last played in the NFL in the 2022 season with the Arizona Cardinals.

He played in 69 career games (45 starts) with the Bengals, Giants and Cardinals after being selected by Cincinnati with the 21st pick in the 2018 NFL Draft out of Ohio State University.

He won the Rimington Trophy, which recognizes the nation’s best center, in 2017 with the Buckeyes.