Former Bengals’ First-Round Pick Retires After ‘Terrifying’ Health Scare

Getty Cincinnati Bengals center Billy Price.

Former Cincinnati Bengals first-round pick Billy Price announced his retirement on May 25 following emergency surgery to remove a blood clot in his lungs.

Price announced his retirement on his Instagram account. The Bengals selected Price, a center, in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft with the No. 21 overall pick. Price played six seasons for six different teams and last played in a game in 2022 for the Arizona Cardinals.

From Price: “In the blink of an eye, everything can be taken away. On April 24th I had emergency pulmonary embolism surgery to remove a saddle clot that was entering both of my lungs. As a healthy 29 year old, an unprovoked pulmonary embolism with no further medical explanation is terrifying. I am truly thankful to be alive today. Unfortunately, I will be retiring from the NFL as the risk of an internal bleed while on blood thinners creates tremendous risk.

“I am truly thankful for the opportunity to have played in some of the greatest atmospheres around the world. I am thankful to have trained and played alongside men who will continue to make Pro Bowls, All Pro Rosters and Hall of Fame recognitions.”

Bengals Selected Price in First Round in 2018

Price played high school football at Austintown Fitch High School in Austintown, Ohio, where he was a 4-star recruit before signing with Ohio State.

At Ohio State, Price had one of the greatest careers for an offensive lineman in school history. He was a three-time All-Big Ten pick, two-time Associated Press All-American, won a College Football Playoff national championship and as a senior in 2017 won the Rimington Trophy as the nation’s top center and was named Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year.

Price started 10 games as a rookie for the Bengals in 2018 and made the PFWA All-Rookie Team but only started 9 games over the next two seasons before the Bengals traded him to the New York Giants in exchange for defensive tackle B.J. Hill.

Price started 15 games for the Giants in 2021 then started 11 games for the Arizona Cardinals in 2022 before spending 2023 on the practice squads for the New Orleans Saints and Dallas Cowboys.

Who Will Start at Center for Bengals in 2024?

Two-time Super Bowl champion Ted Karras has started every game at center for the Bengals the last two seasons. Karras is in the final year of a 3-year, $18 million contract he signed with Cincinnati in March 2022.

Karras is also a unique piece of NFL history — he’s a third-generation NFL player following his grandfather, Ted Karras Sr., father, Ted Karras Jr., and great uncles Lou Karras and Pro Football Hall of Famer Alex Karras.

Alex Karras, a 9-time NFL All-Pro defensive tackle, holds a unique place in pop culture history as he’s arguably more famous for his lengthy film and TV career. Karras’ most well-known roles were in the classic comedy “Blazing Saddles” and on the long-running sitcom “Webster” for 150 episodes as retired football star George Papadopoulos.