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Former Detroit Lions star center Frank Ragnow had a wild 2025 NFL season despite never playing in a single game.
Ragnow, 30, abruptly retired over the summer and announced his retirement on social media. In November, he attempted to return to the field and sign with the Lions, only to fail 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 looks on from the sideline during the national anthem before an NFL game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Dec. 30, 2023. (Perry Knotts/Getty Images)
“To tell you clearly, I was trying to make up my mind to play, and my body was telling me otherwise. And I was kind of in paralysis, so to speak,” 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 it,’ to the guys, the fans… like, that’s who you are.
“But it’s like I’m uncomfortable, and it’s one of those things where you have a couple of kids and I don’t want a sob story,” Ragnow said. “I’m going to be completely fine and all, but it’s one of those things that says, ‘Is the juice worth the squeeze?’, and for me, ultimately, 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 watches 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)
Ragnow said he continued to stay in shape, which is why he attempted to retire in November. He said he knew his hamstring hurt, but he had no idea how serious the injury was.
“I got hurt 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 that I laid 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 meant to be.”
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Detroit Lions center Frank Ragnow warms up before the game against the Buffalo Bills at Ford Field in Detroit on Dec. 15, 2024. (Junfu Han/RED USA TODAY)
He spent his entire seven-year career with the Lions after being selected by the team in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Following 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 game despite battling injuries throughout his career. In his final season, Ragnow played with a partially torn pectoral muscle and still played in 16 games.
