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Former Bengals first-round pick Billy Price retires at 29 because of health scare

Billy Price, a center who was drafted by the Bengals in the first round in 2018, is retiring from the NFL at the age of 29.

Price announced that a health scare makes it unsafe for him to continue playing, and so he will walk away.

"In the blink of an eye, everything can be taken away," Price wrote on social media. "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."

Price won the Rimington Trophy as the best center in college football at Ohio State in 2017 and played for the Bengals for three years after they drafted him. Price then spent one year with the Giants and had short stints with the Raiders, Cardinals, Saints and Cowboys.