Frank Ragnow

Lions C Frank Ragnow Retires

June 2nd, 2025 at 10:07pm CST by Adam La Rose

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.

Lions Could Lose Derrick Barnes For Rest Of Season

October 9th, 2024 at 11:45am CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Lions could be playing the rest of the 2024 without inside linebacker Derrick Barnes, who was placed on injured reserve after a knee injury in Week 3.

“I think we will be fortunate to get him at any point this year,” said head coach Dan Campbell on Monday, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “I don’t want to say it’s not going to happen, but I think we would be pretty fortunate if it does.”

The Lions have been evaluating Barnes’ knee he sustained the injury in Week 3 to decide if the fourth-year linebacker will require surgery. While no determination has been made, Campbell’s comments indicate that Barnes will need a lengthy recovery period, surgery or not.

2022 sixth-rounder and former Hard Knocks fan favorite Malcolm Rodriguez has taken over Barnes’ spot in Detroit’s defense, recording 10 tackles and a sack across Weeks 3 and 4. Rodriguez will look to further solidify his starting role after the Lions’ Week 5 bye in their upcoming matchup with the Cowboys.

The Lions did get some positive injury updates this week with center Frank Ragnow and safety Brian Branch both returning to practice after one-game absences. Detroit’s bye week gave both players additional time to get healthy: Ragnow from a partially-torn pectoral muscle and Branch from an illness. Both players are key starters for the Lions, who had to shuffle on both sides of the ball in Week 4.

Lions C Frank Ragnow Sustains Torn Pec

September 24th, 2024 at 8:22am CST by Sam Robinson

The Lions are set to be without their Pro Bowl center for an extended period. Frank Ragnow suffered a torn pectoral muscle during the team’s Week 3 win, Dan Campbell confirmed Tuesday.

Campbell said during an appearance on 97.1’s Costa & Jansen with Heather (via ESPN.com’s Eric Woodyard) the veteran blocker wants to keep playing. The Lions look to have dodged a bullet, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport indicating it is a partial tear. Still, Ragnow should be expected to miss time.

“He’s tough; he’s stubborn, so he wants to go, and he always wants to go, but this is something we’re still talking about right now,” Campbell said. “I’m not entirely sure what we’re gonna do with him. A lot of it is where is he gonna feel by middle or end of the week, but he does have something in there and he did play through some of this last week.”

Last year showed pectoral tears are not season-enders, with the Lions among the teams to see successful rehab efforts commence. C.J. Gardner-Johnson went down with a torn pec in Week 2 and made it back in time for the Lions’ regular-season finale. Bills DT DaQuan Jones and Eagles cornerback Avonte Maddox also returned from September pec tears. Ragnow, who has missed extended time in just one of his previous six NFL seasons, may be shut down for a while, but given that this is a partial tear, his recovery timetable may not be nearly as lengthy as the above-referenced trio’s from 2023.

Attached to the lucrative extension he signed in 2021, Ragnow missed most of that season — a 3-13-1 campaign that began this Campbell- and Brad Holmes-overseen rebuild effort — due to a toe injury. Ragnow played four games in 2021 but was on the field for 16 games in 2022 and 15 last season. Both those showings produced Pro Bowl nods for the former first-round pick.

A second-team All-Pro twice (as Jason Kelce gobbled up first-team honors for an extended period), Ragnow has started all 83 NFL games he has played. The former No. 20 overall pick is one of two Bob Quinn-era investments in place on a well-built O-line, joining left tackle Taylor Decker. The Lions used Evan Brown as Ragnow’s primary replacement in 2021; Brown left in free agency last year. Ragnow, 28, did not miss a snap against the Cardinals, who now employ Brown.

Detroit brought back Graham Glasgow in 2023 and re-signed the veteran guard this year. Glasgow has a background at center, having played there for the Broncos in 2022 and with the Lions in Ragnow’s 2018 rookie year; the latter worked at left guard to start his NFL run. Dan Skipper, who saw time as a sixth O-lineman against Arizona, has played guard at points in his career; he and Glasgow give the team options. The Lions also have former UDFAs Michael Niese and Kayode Awosika as backup interior O-linemen on their 53-man roster. Awosika has been with the team since 2022, Niese since 2023.

Lions C Frank Ragnow Not Contemplating Retirement

February 9th, 2024 at 10:02am CST by Adam La Rose

In the immediate aftermath of the Lions’ NFC championship game loss, center Frank Ragnow confirmed he was playing through multiple injuries. His remarks pointed to a period of contemplating his immediate future, but no thought about hanging up his cleats was included in that process.

Ragnow confirmed (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press) that he will play in 2024. At the age of 27, a retirement decision certainly would have come as a surprise, though he has an extensive list of injuries which he has dealt with during his career. Ragnow had a number of ailments in 2023, including a toe issue which has been recurring for the past three years as well as knee and ankle sprains sustained in the divisional round.

“It takes a toll on you,” Ragnow said at the end of the season. “It really takes a toll on you, so I need to find a way to get back to Frank and I don’t regret any of this at all, but it weighs on you and I’m just going to take some time and really figure everything out to make sure that I’m feeling good, not only for me the football player but for me to be the best husband and best father and everything with that as well.”

The former first-rounder has been a mainstay on Detroit’s O-line since his rookie season as a left guard. His shift to the middle paved the way for Ragnow to become one of the league’s best centers, and he earned a third Pro Bowl nod in the past four years for his performance in 2023. Durability has not been an issue for much of his career, with the exception of 2021 when his toe injury required season-ending surgery.

Ragnow noted that it is yet to be determined if he will undergo any procedures this offseason. He added, however, that he will alter his routine in an attempt to be in a better position health-wise by the start of the 2024 campaign. Ragnow is under contract for three more years and is scheduled to carry cap hits of $12.8MM, $14MM and $16.35MM in that span, so his health will remain a key storyline for the Lions’ well-regarded offensive front.

Latest On Lions’ O-Line Situation

January 25th, 2024 at 5:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the Lions prepare to face a 49ers team flooded with high-end investments on its defensive line, they will do so with a suddenly banged-up offensive front.

Jonah Jackson has undergone surgery for the meniscus tear he sustained in the Lions’ divisional-round win over the Buccaneers, and Frank Ragnow will not head into the San Francisco matchup healthy. The veteran center plans to play, but NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport notes he sustained a sprained knee and a sprained ankle against the Bucs.

Ragnow’s matchups with the likes of Javon Hargrave, Arik Armstead and Javon Kinlaw will be a key factor as the Lions attempt to keep Jared Goff clean in their first NFC championship game since 1991. Jackson, however, may still have a chance to return this season. If the Lions pull the upset and advance to the first Super Bowl in team history, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler indicates the team’s left guard could return for that game. Dan Campbell confirmed that possibility for Jackson, who is playing out his rookie contract.

The Lions have dealt with injuries up front this season, but the unit had been healthy for much of this wildly successful stretch run. Four of the Lions’ five original O-line starters this season have missed at least two games this season; Jackson has missed five. Only All-Pro right tackle Penei Sewell has lasted 19 games. Halapoulivaati Vaitai remains on IR, and it does not appear the right guard is coming back this season. Coming back after a three-year Denver stay, Graham Glasgow usurped Vaitai after starting the season as a backup.

Detroit will have four of its front five available against San Francisco, and were the team to come back and allow Jackson to return for a Super Bowl start, it would represent a nice conclusion to a spotty contract year. Jackson, who said last year he is seeking a Lions extension, has been a Lions starting guard since the team drafted him in the 2020 third round. The Bob Quinn regime drafted Jackson, and the Lions have Ragnow and LT Taylor Decker tied to big-ticket deals. Sewell will also be in line for one, joining Amon-Ra St. Brown in that regard.

A 2024 Goff extension is also likely on tap for the Lions, who have let the 2021 trade acquisition play on his Rams contract for three years. These factors will make it difficult for the Lions to retain Jackson, and we have not heard extension rumors since early September.

Lions C Frank Ragnow Sidelined For Week 2

September 16th, 2022 at 7:51pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Lions’ highly-regarded offensive line has taken another notable hit. Starting center Frank Ragnow will miss the team’s second game of the season, as noted by Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.

Groin and, more notably, toe injuries are the cause for the Pro Bowler’s absence. Birkett notes that Ragnow played through the ailments last week against the Eagles, but that the toe issue is on the same foot which caused him to undergo season-ending surgery last year.

That injury limited him to just four games in 2021, the first season after signing a then-historic extension which briefly made him the NFL’s highest-paid center. The former first-rounder has been a full-time starter since his rookie season, and played a key role in the Lions’ offensive line emerging as one of the best in the NFL. Any extended absence would deal a significant blow to the unit, which is already shorthanded.

The Lions have been without fellow starter Halapoulivaati Vaitai since the start of the year, so they will have only three-fifths of their best projected o-line against the Commanders. Just as he did after Ragnow’s injury last season, Evan Brown will step in at center. His play in 2021 – one sack allowed en route to an overall PFF grade of 66.8 – fell well short of Ragnow’s caliber of play, but, if repeated, could at least provide stability at the position.

Between the injuries up front, and the potential for top running back D’Andre Swift to sit out (or least play a more limited role) due to an ankle issue, head coach Dan Campbell admitted that the team’s offensive approach will need to be altered.

“[The injuries change] what we do a little bit, just the style that we need to play,” he said. “You just, we’ll have to shift the burden a little bit other places or the load to other places on our team, which is OK. That’s what we got to do. That’s what we’re charged with.”

Whether with a run-heavy approach or a more pass-oriented attack utilizing the team’s upgraded pass-catching corps, the Lions will look to move to 1-1 on Sunday, with the hopes that Ragnow will be sidelined for far less time than he was last year.

Lions G Halapoulivaati Vaitai Undergoes Back Surgery

September 16th, 2022 at 10:36am CST by Sam Robinson

When the Lions placed Halapoulivaati Vaitai on IR shortly after finalizing their 53-man roster, the extent of his injury was unknown. Dan Campbell provided more clarity on the matter, which now appears to have the veteran guard facing an extended absence.

Vaitai underwent back surgery this week in Dallas, Justin Rogers of the Detroit News notes. Campbell is not ruling out the seventh-year blocker for the season, but the Lions will be without their right guard starter for an extensive stretch.

This news comes during a week in which the Lions placed Vaitai’s primary backup, Tommy Kraemer, on injured reserve. Kraemer also suffered a back injury, one that caused him to miss the team’s season opener. Third-year guard Logan Stenberg started against the Eagles and is expected to remain in that role in Week 2. Stenberg, a 2020 fourth-round pick, had not started a game through two seasons. He committed two penalties and allowed a sack in his debut.

Although Kraemer (three starts as a rookie last season) did not play in Week 1, the Lions waiting until this week to place him on IR means he cannot return until Week 6. It is uncertain if the former UDFA will be ready by then. Vaitai’s timetable became clouded because of his procedure. He could be staring at his longest absence as a pro.

A former fifth-round Eagles pick, Vaitai signed a five-year, $45MM deal with the Lions in 2020. Detroit’s Bob Quinn–Matt Patricia regime authorized that contract. Vaitai has moved from right tackle to right guard during his time with the Lions, who drafted Penei Sewell to play right tackle last year. The high-priced acquisition has started 25 games for the Lions in two seasons, including 15 last season. Vaitai is signed through 2024, though the team can escape the contract with just more than $5MM in dead money in 2023.

The Lions were expected to feature one of the NFL’s top offensive lines this season, but they have suddenly seen that unit depleted early. In addition to Vaitai’s shutdown, center Frank Ragnow and left guard Jonah Jackson missed practice Thursday. Left tackle Taylor Decker is battling a calf injury, leaving Sewell as the only Detroit O-line starter not dealing with an ailment presently. As a result of the injury troubles, the Lions signed guard Kayode Awosika off the Eagles’ practice squad this week.

NFC Rumors: Toney, Packers, Hainsey, Ragnow

April 23rd, 2022 at 7:42pm CST by Ely Allen

With the news early this morning that Giants wide receiver Kadarius Toney is on the trading block after only one season in New York, questions have arisen about the value Toney commands. According to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, interest in Toney covers the gamut across the NFL.

Howe reports that some teams have absolutely no interest, while other teams believe that giving him a chance to develop in their system will allow his talent and ability to shine. Toney showed explosive ability in college at Florida, scoring on big plays and showing elite ability after the catch. The Giants looked past several off-field concerns during his time in Gainesville when drafting Toney at 20th overall. Unfortunately for New York, Toney’s off-field issues continued into Year One of his NFL career.

Howe thinks that New York has potentially been trying to move Toney for a while now with little success. He posits that the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft will create some urgency either for receiver-needy teams looking for a young boost to their pass-catching group or for New York to accept a lesser price to get any value out of their failed first-round experiment from 2021.

Here are some other rumors from around the NFC, starting with a new name in Green Bay:

According to the Packers’ website, Green Bay finalized their staff this week with the addition of John Donovan as a senior analyst. After 19 years in college football culminating in offensive coordinator jobs at Vanderbilt and Penn State, Donovan first entered the NFL as an offensive quality control coach for the Jaguars. He left Jacksonville to return to college for the offensive coordinator job at the University of Washington. After two years in that role, Donovan will give the NFL another try, this time in Green Bay.
Former third-round pick Robert Hainsey played offensive tackle at Notre Dame before working through his rookie year in Tampa Bay at center. Greg Auman of The Athletic believes Hainsey could split the difference and compete for a starting job at guard this year. With Ali Marpet retiring and Alex Cappa signing in the offseason with the Bengals, the Buccaneers will need to replace both spots. They addressed one position, signing former-Patriots guard Shaq Mason to slot in at right guard. They also re-signed Aaron Stinnie who has been a reliable backup in Tampa Bay, but has only started one game in his four-year career. Expect Hainsey to get a chance to compete for the starting spot this offseason.
After suffering a season-ending toe injury in a Week 4 loss to the Bears last season, the Lions have reported that Frank Ragnow is feeling strong, healthy, and ready to return to his role as a leader in the middle of the Lions’ offensive line. The Lions will look forward to getting Ragnow back to lead an impressive-sounding group that includes Jonah Jackson, Halapoulivaati Vaitai, Taylor Decker, and Penei Sewell.

Bucs Re-Sign C Ryan Jensen

March 13th, 2022 at 10:49pm CST by Ely Allen

The Brady effect has started already and it is strong. Buccaneers center Ryan Jensen was poised for quite the pay day on the free agent market this week, but, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Jensen has agreed to a three-year, $39MM deal returning him to Tampa Bay.

Drafted by the Ravens in the sixth round of the 2013 NFL Draft, Jensen was released, signed to the practice squad, and then eventually promoted to full-time starter over the first four years of his career. After one season as the starting center in Baltimore, Jensen signed a four-year, $42MM contract with the Buccaneers that made him the highest-paid center in the NFL at the time. The new deal makes Jensen the second-highest-paid center in the NFL now behind only Frank Ragnow, who averages $13.5MM per year. Jensen’s new contract has a guaranteed amount of $23MM at signing, with a potential $3.3MM of incentives.

Jensen’s efforts in Tampa Bay last year were rewarded with a Pro Bowl appearance. He didn’t have his best season according to Pro Football Focus, who graded him out as the league’s 14th-best center. But Jensen hasn’t missed a game in five straight seasons and he should be able to replace the leadership on the offensive line lost with the retirement of Ali Marpet. Who knows? The return of Jensen and quarterback Tom Brady may have some influence in bringing back right guard Alex Cappa, set to hit free agency this week, and maybe even Marpet, who retired at 28-years-old.

Regardless of what else may come in Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers and Brady will be happy to see the return of their Pro Bowl center. Center-quarterback chemistry is an important dynamic on an NFL offense and, some may remember, Jensen already knows just the right techniques to keep his butt sweat-free, just the way his quarterback prefers it.

Lions’ Frank Ragnow Done For Year

October 12th, 2021 at 10:06am CST by Zachary Links

The Lions can’t catch a break. Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow will be shut down for the year after undergoing season-ending toe surgery (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Previously, there was hope that Ragnow could return after a short stint on the IR list.

“He’s got, basically, a version of turf toe right now is what he’s got,” said Lions head coach Dan Campbell less than one week ago (via ESPN.com). “We’ll know a lot more this afternoon with him. I would say he’s probably going to be out [for a little while] though.”

The winless Lions have already lost several key players to injury, including left tackle Taylor Decker, edge rusher Romeo Okwara, and wide receiver Quintez Cephus. Up until this latest issue, Ragnow was mostly healthy throughout his career, save for three missed games.

Ragnow been first-string for Detroit ever since he was taken with the No. 20 overall pick in 2018. At first, the Lions used the Arkansas product at left guard. In 2019, they shifted him to the middle. And, in May, they made him the highest-paid center in the NFL with a $70MM re-up. That deal cemented his status as a pillar of the Lions’ offensive line and vaulted him ahead of Chargers C Corey Linsley, who led the position with a five-year, $62.5MM pact.

The wounded Lions will face the 3-2 Bengals on Sunday.

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