Ohio State football: Bengals decline contract option on Billy Price
By Del Barris
Billy Price was a first-round pick after coming out of the Ohio State football program and has struggled to stay healthy and play well on the field. As a result, the Bengals aren’t committing to his future.
The Cincinnati Bengals have declined to pick up the contract option on a fifth-year for former Buckeye offensive lineman Billy Price. He will now become an unrestricted free agent after the 2021 season. If the Bengals had decided to exercise that option for a fifth season, Price would have been due $10.4 million.
The Bengals selected Price in 2018 with the 21st overall pick of the Draft. A combination of spotty play and nagging injuries have limited him to just nineteen starts in 42 games. Ten of those starts came in his rookie season.
Price suffered a foot injury during that first season in Cincinnati which cost him six games but was still named to the Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie team. In his second year, it was a back injury and another foot injury that slowed him. He was injury-free this past season but started just one game.
Price was a four-star recruit as a defensive lineman out of Fitch High School in Austintown when he signed with the Buckeyes in 2013, but would make his mark on the offensive side of the ball. After a redshirt season, he became a starter at right guard for the Ohio State football team’s 2014 national championship team.
He was a three-year starter at that position before moving to center for his final season. In 2017 he was the conference’s lineman of the year, won the Rimington Trophy as the nation’s best center, and was a unanimous All-American. Price was also named first-team All-Big Ten twice.
While Price may not become a full-time starter in the NFL, his versatility makes him an attractive addition to teams. He’s started games at center and both guard spots in his time with the Bengals. If he has a solid 2021 season, it is not out of the realm of possibilities Cincinnati could decide to re-sign him.
Next. 3 Buckeyes that can be value picks in the 2021 Draft. dark
On a personal note, he is always a guy I’ve had a special interest and hope he has a long, productive NFL career. Why? Because when I covered the Buckeyes’ national championship game against Oregon, Price was the first guy I interviewed after the game. A very memorable moment.