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The Detroit Lions forced retired Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow to repay part of his signing bonus, and Philadelphia Eagles great Jason Kelce isn’t happy about it.
The Lions have done this before with some of the best players in their franchise’s history, Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson, and it created a rift in their relationship with the two Pro Football Hall of Famers. Kelce said he thinks it’s “bulls—” that the Lions are asking Ragnow to return money.
“While I understand the team has the right to ask for a refund, in the spirit of the deal I think this is bullshit—Frank is being asked to return money,” Kelce posted on X.
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Monday Night Countdown’s Jason Kelce speaks during the pregame show before the game between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts on December 1, 2025. (Eric Canha/Imagn Images)
“This was clearly a player that the game had taken a toll on physically, and his body was clearly no longer holding up to the rigors of the NFL. This wasn’t just a player deciding he didn’t want to play anymore, it wasn’t that simple, and these signing bonuses are there to protect players from the inevitable injuries they suffer on the field.”
Ragnow signed a four-year contract extension worth $54 million in May 2021, which made him the highest-paid center in the NFL, with a signing bonus of $6 million. The signing bonus on this contract represented $1.5 million each season against the salary cap from 2023 to 2026.
Lions president Rod Wood confirmed the team requested a “portion” of Ragnow’s signing bonus.
“Our precedent goes back to Barry Sanders,” Wood told the Detroit Free Press. “What if Barry Sanders refunded money. …And I think the reality is they’re not refunding their money, they’re giving us our money back. Because they were paid in advance for services that they didn’t perform.”
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Frank Ragnow (77) of the Detroit Lions looks on during 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)
Kelce said he understands the team wants its money back if the player retires without reason and if that player has not fulfilled the requirements of the contract. In Ragnow’s case, Kelce believed the four-time Pro Bowl center retired due to health issues after leaving it all on the field.
“However, Frank was known for being hurt and playing with injuries that most players wouldn’t play with constantly. A broken foot, a torn pec, multiple knee injuries, back issues. There was always something going on, and I’m sure he continually suffered from multiple ailments to try to continue playing. His body had clearly deteriorated to a degree that made football no longer a viable option, physically and probably mentally,” Kelce wrote.
“In my opinion, the signing bonus is supposed to protect players from future physical illnesses limiting their availability on the field, which is one of the reasons you want more guaranteed money up front.”
Ragnow retired before last season, but attempted a comeback in November, but failed the physical due to a torn hamstring. However, despite Ragnow’s retirement due to injury, Wood views the signing bonus as team money.
“It’s the Lions’ money, it’s not the players’ money,” Wood said.
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Detroit Lions center Frank Ragnow (77) warms up before the game between the Detroit Lions and the Buffalo Bills at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, December 15, 2024. (Junfu Han/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Kelce said the purpose of the signing bonus is to be an upfront guarantee.
“The whole purpose of a signing bonus is to be an upfront guarantee that assures a salary regardless of performance metrics or, more importantly, injuries that could jeopardize your career in the future,” Kelce wrote.
Including the playoffs, Ragnow played in 100 games for the Lions and made the Pro Bowl four of the last five years of his career.
