Former NFL first-round pick Billy Price announced his retirement from professional football Saturday morning due to the possibility of complications from a blood clot.
Price, a center, has not played in the league since his time with the Arizona Cardinals during the 2022 season.
In an emotional Instagram post, Price wrote: “In the blink of an eye, everything can be taken from us.
‘On April 24 I had emergency pulmonary embolism surgery to remove a clot that was entering both lungs.
‘For a healthy 29-year-old person, an unprovoked pulmonary embolism without further medical explanation is terrifying. I am truly grateful to be alive today.
NFL center Billy Price announces retirement after encountering ‘scary’ blood clot
Price was drafted in 2018 out of Ohio State, where he was named the nation’s top center.
“Unfortunately, I will be retiring from the NFL as the risk of internal bleeding while on blood thinners creates a tremendous risk.”
Price played in 69 career games (45 starts) with the Bengals, New York Giants and Cardinals since being selected by Cincinnati with the 21st overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft out of Ohio State.
With the Buckeyes, he won the Rimington Trophy, which honors the best center in the country, in 2017.