Frank Ragnow‘s playing days have come to an end. The Pro Bowl center has informed the Lions he plans to retire, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Ragnow was away from the team during OTAs, but not as a result of a contract dispute. Instead, the 29-year-old was contemplating his options while weighing the possibility of continuing his career against the numerous injuries he has dealt with in the NFL. Health concerns led to today’s decision, which is now official. 
“These past couple of months have been very trying as I’ve come to the realization that my football journey is ending and I’m officially retiring from the NFL,” Ragnow wrote on Instagram Monday. “I’ve tried to convince myself that I’m feeling good but I’m not and it’s time to prioritize my health and my family’s future. I have given this team everything I have and I thought I had more to give, but the reality is I simply don’t.
“I have to listen to my body and this has been one of the hardest decisions of my life. The Lions organization has been absolutely incredible throughout this process and I can’t emphasize enough how grateful I am for this team and all the fans.”
An injury limited Ragnow to four games in 2021, but he managed to suit up for either 15 or 16 games during each of the past three seasons. This included playing through a pectoral injury last season. The former first-rounder earned a Pro Bowl nod every year in that stretch, bringing his career total to four. Ragnow earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2020, and he matched that feat over both of the past two campaigns. He operated as a Lions’ starter upon arrival, later becoming a key piece during a rebuild that saw the O-line play a pivotal role. But for the first time in seven years the team will be without his services.
Ragnow drew middling PFF evaluations during his rookie season as a guard, sliding to center ahead of his second season. Since then, he ranked among the league’s best at the center spot. The Arkansas product finished no worse than sixth for qualifying centers in terms of overall grade (with the exception of his brief 2021 season, when he earned a mark of 86.7 in his limited action). Expectations would have remained high moving forward, and two years remained on Ragnow’s contract. Now, though, his attention will turn to his post-playing days.
Detroit has veteran Graham Glasgow in place as an option to handle first-team center duties. The 32-year-old has spent much of his career at both guard spots, with that being the case for the majority of his two Lions stints. In 2018, though, Glasgow did operate as the team’s starting center before Ragnow took over that role. Glasgow also served as a Broncos center starter in 2022, replacing an injured Lloyd Cushenberry after Quinn Meinerz had taken Glasgow’s right guard spot. Another option at the center position would be second-round rookie Tate Ratledge. Rapoport’s colleague Mike Garafolo notes both Ragnow and Ratledge have taken center reps this spring.
The Lions managed to keep a number of depth options in place along the offensive line this offseason, but right guard Kevin Zeitler departed in free agency. Today’s news means multiple moves will need to be made along the interior ahead of the 2025 campaign. Expectations will remain high for Detroit’s offense in no small part due to the play of the team’s O-line. That unit will nevertheless be notably different with Ragnow no longer in the fold.
After exceling on his rookie pact, Ragnow landed a 2021 extension. Only three centers have since surpassed the AAV of Ragnow’s extension ($13.5MM), an indication of the center position’s market but also his value to the Lions. After 100 combined regular and postseason appearances, Ragnow will depart the NFL with roughly $57MM in career earnings.
Why not 3 months ago?! 😭
I know.
I’m guessing he told them he was thinking about it, thus why they drafted a center to replace him. I mean how many people would walk away from a $15 mil a year job if they could just show up and get it. People act like that’s an easy choice to make, especially knowing once you pull the cord, you’re never going to be able to make that money back doing this again. They only have ten years realistically of earning potential.
I’m starting to get the feeling that the lions of old are back this year
The schedule provides them with the largest rest advantage of any team (+13 days) and they have a rest advantage in 8 of their games. They will have no problem reaching the 10.5 projected win total.
It’s a tough division. They won 3 games in the division by 3 points or less. I’d say 10.5 is about right considering the new people at the top of the coaching staffs.
The Vikings won 9 more games than the Bears last season but both teams are projected to win 8.5 this season. That’s rather wild…lol.
I think that reflects that people still think the Vikings are doing it with smoke and mirrors despite technically losing to only two teams last year. Their roster deficiencies show up when they play better teams. I do think 8.5 is way to high for the Bears though. It should be 6.5 tops. Their offensive line still stinks even with Thuney coming in, and Williams is going to have to overcome getting sacked almost 70 times in a season. People just gloss over that like that’s something you fix overnight without psychological scars from getting hit so much. Deshaun Watson in Houston is the only guy I can remember getting hit so much and still being productive despite it, and that eventually broke him, which is why Cleveland got a lemon.
They’re flat out better roster wise than the other two teams, and all three are way better than the Bears.
Look, I hate (H-A-T-E) the Bears as much as anyone. I want them to lose every game. Unless they’re playing the Vikings, then I root for team meteor.
But to say they don’t have even close to the talent on that roster as anyone else in the division is foolish. Caleb was bad last year. But he has ability. Swift sucks. But the OL (on paper can play) and that defense has been nasty plenty of times.
Ugh. You made me defend the Bears. Now I have to go wash my mouth out with soap. Lol
They don’t. I know the media runs narratives, but you can’t name too many players on the Bears that would start in Detroit. The only place they have better players is their pass rush, and that’s not a large lead. Lions are better everywhere else, and it’s not close. I know it’s popular to blame everything on Eberflus, but that roster isn’t close, and it’s one of the reasons I thought they were stupid not to trade that pick a year ago since they have such a big gap to make up between them and the Lions. Their offensive line still stinks, and their defense is overrated. Back seven is especially shaky. Games are close in the NFL. The Raiders nearly beat the Chiefs again last year and beat them in 2023. Anyone think they have comparable talent? That’s division football. But when you lined up for it all, even with all the injuries, the Lions destroyed the Vikings in week 18. That’s the gap in that division because Holmes has been on one of those generational runs as a GM. They’re going to be minimum 13-4 again this year barring a catastrophic injury to Goff or something.
Yeah. Hard disagree with both your premises. Lions are not going to have the season that had last year and the Bears will be better
You sound like a fan of one of those teams in the division, so I understand you being too close to the situation. Lions have the best roster in the league right now top to bottom. It takes a blow losing an All Pro center, but they still are stacked. Surely, you don’t think their awesome coaching or their QB play made them this good, lol. They are 2013/2014 Seattle good roster wise.
First of all, repeating a 16 and one season is almost statistically impossible. They will regress. Second of all they are one injury away now from having the youngest interior offensive line in football. Starting a second round rookie a sixth round second year player and an old guard who is mediocre. Third of all, it has been proven that Jared Goff does not do well with interior pressure. It affects all quarterbacks, but it affects him more than most. If golf has pressure in his face, he will gag. He has done it his entire career.
They weren’t 16-1. They were 15-2. Also, I didn’t say they’d go 15-2 again, but they will win that division absent a major injury like to Goff or someone important like that. Also, you’re knocking Goff about pressure up the middle but are championing the guy who got sacked fourth most in a season in the history of the league? Goff has flaws for sure, but he’s got skins on the wall, including a Super Bowl appearance. He’s better than the other three guys in the division until they prove they can surpass him on the field, not based on potential. I’m not a fan of any of these teams, but I’m just calling it how it is. The Lions are stacked. I know it’s hard to comprehend because they’ve been so bad for so long, but Holmes is on a historic run as a GM.
I am not a Bears fan, I am a Packers fan. So I decidedly would never give any Bears QB the benefit of the doubt. Williams was bad last year. But there were some good reasons for that, and he was a rookie. He still has talent. Time will tell. I hope he fails.
But as for Goff? The book is out on him. He is the QB equivalent of an effective point guard. He is not physically dominant, nor is he the type of QB who is going to put a team on his back and drag them to wins. Lions fans won’t like it, but Goff *is* the result of the team around him, and not the reason a team is good. It was true when he was a Ram. It is true now. He gagged hard in that Super Bowl you mentioned. He gagged hard against the Commanders last January. He gagged hard against the 9ers last year. And the two playoff wins he has ushered in as a Lions QB have been nail biters.
If you put pressure on Jared Goff from the interior, he will fold. This *is* the way it is. It is not arguable. It is backed up by years of fact. Go look at him since he was a rookie. Goff with a clean pocket vs Goff under duress. It is *the* worst split of any QB in the league. It hasn’t changed his entire career, and it won’t change now.
So, with that settled: This Ragnow retirement not only weakens OC substantially, it also weakens RG, as their penciled in starter there now isn’t a 2nd round pick, but a 6th rounder from last year. And then you talk about depth. One injury from RG-OC-LG and the Lions are screwed. And you throw Goff’s preThat doesn’t mean it can’t work. But it does mean it’s a very thin line that it can work with.
The division is wide open. I think the Lions are the favorite to win the NFCN. But barely. Vegas agrees. It would not surprise me to see any of the 4 teams win it this year.
Caleb wasn’t bad last year and Swift doesn’t suck. This is pure cope.
Swift sucks dude. Sorry.
How many QBs you know who got sacked 70 times bounced back? I can name Randall Cunningham and Deshaun Watson, and even he was broken immediately after that season. He wasn’t bad, but he certainly wasn’t good either and a lot of it was his fault. Bears have to show significant improvement with him early in this season, or this will go off the rails quickly.
Hilarious
That roster is still top of the line. They didn’t go 15-2 because of coaching. I’d argue the roster is so good that it overcame the coaching at times. The whole defense was decimated by November, and they still only lost twice in the league’s most competitive division.
Although I’m more impressed by the WAY the Bears are doing things now that they seem to have a plan that SHOULD work, Somehow the 4th place schedule they were supposed to end up with became the 5th hardest in the league. Not really sure how that happens but here we are. The Bears offense is leaps and bounds better than last year and also deeper but I’m gonna take a wait and see attitude and try not to get my hopes too high just yet. Right now they look like a professional football team which is more than I can say about the Eberlose era. Let’s start playing some games and see.
Wow, this is a surprise, but Holmes and Campbell likely know about this. Will be interesting who they tab to replace him. Maybe Glasgow for 2025 and play the 2 rookies at Guard?
Weird timing
Post-june 1st for cap reasons? Realized his body couldn’t handle it after trying to participate in OTAs? Idk what the reasons are but a couple possibilities.
Post-June does is a very logical reason for the timing…or at least part of it. The Lions likely had no intention of filing the paperwork until after June 1st to make it official, so they told him to hold off announcing until then and just keep consider returning. Now June 1st has come and his body is still saying no…They make it official, throw him a party, and carry on.
Didn’t they report he wanted a extension a couple days ago, if So the lions botched it. Had no centers in the draft and just one in free agency.
Probably a false rumor based on the fact he was not showing up to camp. Heck, the Lions may have even tossed him offers to try and sway him to stay. Sounds like it was not about money….it was a decision to make sure he was physically capable of enjoying life….Sounds like the Lions knew it was coming and they may have even drafted Ratledge in RD2 with the idea he could become their center in this scenario…..they were laying him there in camp.
@front. Yeah just saw rattledge was playing center 1 in OTA’S. The rumor was probably false people thought he was holding out, it was because his body broke down, probably was trying and couldn’t. I guess this eliminates the tush push. Kelce and ragnow are done now it’s only Jurgens.
Great player who’s had a ton of injuries. I wish him health in retirement.
From a football perspective, this really hurts Detroit. Goff doesn’t deal well with pressure in his face (almost no one does), and when Ragnow has been out, it’s been noticeable.
I think that management had a feeling about Frank situation. This could explain the drafting of two lineman in the draft.
This leaves DET very thin on the inside. Ratledge moves to OC. Mahogony (sp?) is RG now? And that assumes no injuries.
@bearmeat. Chargers have depth even though they dont have a lg or center. Either way someone will get cut. Probably pipkins or maybe salyer that can play guard and left tackle adequately. Also James they signed is the third center behind zion, Bozeman. If that’s the plans
Man you never want to see such a great player retire early due to injury.
This is really going to hurt Detroit so I hope Ratledge is up to the challenge as a rookie. Detroit is trying to compete for a Super Bowl, and Center is an extremely crucial position for a contender. Their whole explosive offense depends on timing and pocket protection.
Best of luck to him in his future endeavors though.
Reminds me of when that Center from Ohio State had the concussion issues so early in his career. It was either Cincinnati or Buffalo who drafted him.
The man once played (successfully!) with a fractured throat. If he can’t bring himself to do it anymore, that’s saying an awful lot. Great career. A shame injury luck wouldn’t let it be longer.
Yes. A great player. They will miss him.
Do it Detroit, offer the moon for Jason Kelce!
NFC Oline power rankings after this move
1)MN
2)CHI
Tied for last) DET / GB
lol yeah. We’ll see. I like where GBs OL is at right now. And DET has two awesome tackles. MIN and CHI both are not full proof on the line.
GB moved their best lineman from guard to tackle now to center. You have a 1st rd tackle from ‘24 that has to compete for a job at Tackle or guard. The uncertainty of GBs line speaks volumes to the mess that it is. MN had two good tackles last year and mush in the middle. It won’t work for the immobile Goff this year in Det.
I agree about Detroit. I do not agree that having too much depth is a problem for Green Bay.
Good Luck Frank!
I can understand him listening to his body – but wasn’t it telling him the same thing a year ago? After all, he played 16 games, not 3 or 4.
Perhaps he doesn’t think the Lions have what it takes in order for him to go through it again…