CINCINNATI — Bengals guard Clint Boling is retiring from the NFL at age 30 due to health issues, he announced via the team on Monday.
A fourth-round draft pick in 2011, Boling started 109 games for the Bengals, including every game for the past two seasons. While Boling mostly played guard, he was asked to move to tackle at times during the last two years due to injuries or struggles along the rest of the offensive line.
“After eight years in the NFL, it is time for me to step away from the game due to medical reasons,” Boling said in a news release. “This is not an easy decision, but it is the right one for me, my wife Kelly and our two young girls. I want to thank the Brown family for giving me the opportunity to play my entire career with the Bengals. I also want to thank my teammates, coaches, fans and everyone who has supported me throughout my career.”
Boling’s future on the team seemed up in the air after the Bengals drafted offensive lineman Jonah Williams in the first round. Williams was immediately put in the lineup at left tackle, prompting the team to move left tackle Cordy Glenn to left guard. Considering Boling was counting $5.75 million against the cap, it seemed likely he could be a potential cap casualty.
However, it looked like Boling might be back in his usual spot after Williams tore his labrum during OTAs and was declared out for the season. The only concern was Boling’s health.
Boling did not participate in organized team activities or minicamp this summer, but instead worked with athletic trainers on a separate field due to an undisclosed injury.
With Boling retiring, the Bengals will enter training camp with a hole on an offensive line that has struggled as a unit for the past several seasons.
“Clint is a first-rate person, someone we all counted on and looked up to,” Bengals owner Mike Brown said in a news release. “As a lineman, he never got the credit he deserved. That is often the case with good players who do their jobs well, but around the team, he was highly respected and appreciated beyond his playing abilities.”