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Former Detroit Lions star center Frank Ragnow had a wild 2025 NFL season, even though he never played a snap.
Ragnow, 30, retired abruptly over the summer, announcing his retirement on social media. In November, he attempted to return to the field and sign with the Lions, but failed his physical due to a Grade 3 hamstring strain.
The four-time Pro Bowler said he never intended to retire during the summer of last year.
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Frank Ragnow of the Detroit Lions watches from the sidelines during the national anthem before an NFL game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on December 30, 2023. (Perry Knotts/Getty Images)
“To tell you the truth, I was trying to force myself to play, and my body was telling me otherwise. And I was like paralyzed if you will,” Ragnow said, according to ESPN. “I wasn’t planning on retiring in the middle of the summer, believe it or not. I was trying to say, ‘You can do this,’ to the guys, the fans…it’s who you are.
“But it’s like I’m uncomfortable, and it’s one of those things where you have a few kids, and I don’t want a sob story,” Ragnow said. “I’ll be fine and everything, but it’s one of those cases where you wonder ‘is the juice worth the squeeze’, and for me, at the end of the day, it came down to that decision, and obviously I struggled with that decision as well.”
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Frank Ragnow of the Detroit Lions attends an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California on December 30, 2024. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)
Ragnow said he continues to stay in shape, which is why he attempted to retire in November. He said he knew his hamstring was sore, but had no idea how serious the injury was.
“I got injured a day or two before I got there, and it’s unfortunate. I probably should have listened to my body, but it is what it is,” Ragnow said. “It’s a learning experience, and at least I can say I put my head on the pillow at night and said I tried. I tried for the team. I tried for the fans. And it just wasn’t supposed to happen.”
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Detroit Lions center Frank Ragnow warms up before the game against the Buffalo Bills at Ford Field in Detroit on December 15, 2024. (Junfu Han/USA TODAY NETWORK)
He spent his entire seven-year career with the Lions after being drafted by the team in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. After the 2021 season, Lions general manager Brad Holmes made Ragnow the highest-paid center in the league at the time with a four-year, $54 million contract.
The center made the Pro Bowl in consecutive seasons after signing the contract, as he remained one of the best centers in the sport despite injuries throughout his career. In his final season, Ragnow played with a partially torn pectoral muscle and still played in 16 games.
