MONTREAL -- Laurent Duvernay-Tardif is putting his NFL career on hold -- again.
The 31-year-old Canadian offensive lineman told The Canadian Press on Wednesday that he will begin a residency program at a Montreal-area hospital next month.
Duvernay-Tardif has been an unrestricted NFL free agent since March after finishing last season with the New York Jets. He said he's not retiring from football, just taking care of medical requirements needed to become a physician. The guard plans to reassess both his football interest as well as that of NFL clubs in September.
"I'm going to prioritize medicine .