Frank Ragnow Comes Out of Retirement to Play for the Lions
The four-time Pro-Bowl center, Frank Ragnow, has decided to come out of retirement and return to play with the Detroit Lions, according to sources close to the team.
The source revealed that Ragnow made this decision because “he loves the game.” The deadline for Ragnow to be reinstated and eligible to play this season was Wednesday.
If a player is on a team’s reserve-retired list, they must be reinstated before the Week 13 game. The Lions will play against Green Bay on Thursday in the traditional Thanksgiving Day game.
Ragnow’s first opportunity to play with the Lions would be next Thursday against the Dallas Cowboys, although it is considered unlikely that he will return so soon. It is more likely that his return will be on December 14 against the Rams in Los Angeles.
The Lions still hold Frank Ragnow’s contractual rights for two seasons: the current one and the next. His contract is still valid.
Ragnow announced his retirement in June after seven seasons in the NFL.
The 29-year-old player has battled multiple injuries throughout his career.
In 2021, after a season in which he played with a fractured throat, General Manager Brad Holmes and coach Dan Campbell made him the highest-paid center in the league at the time, with a four-year, $54 million extension.
In 2024, he played 16 games last season, missing only the Week 4 game against Seattle due to a partial pectoral muscle tear. He didn’t miss any games as a starter after that and was selected for the Pro Bowl for the third consecutive season. Without Ragnow, veteran Graham Glasgow filled in at center, while the Lions have a 7-4 start to the season.
