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The Detroit Lions forced retired Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow to give back 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 has created a rift in their relationship with the two Pro Football Hall of Famers. Kelce said he thinks it’s “silly” that the Lions are asking Ragnow to return the money.
“While I understand that the team has the right to request the money back, in the spirit of the agreement, I think it is foolish: Frank is being asked to return the money,” Kelce posted on X.
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Monday Night Countdown’s Jason Kelce speaks during the pregame show between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts on December 1, 2025. (Eric Canha/Image Images)
“This was clearly a player on whom the game had taken a toll physically, and his body clearly could no longer handle the rigors of the NFL. This wasn’t just a player who decided 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, $54 million contract extension in May 2021 that made him the highest-paid center in the NFL, with a $6 million signing bonus. The signing bonus for that contract counted $1.5 million each season against the 2023-26 salary cap.
Lions president Rod Wood confirmed the team asked for a “portion” of Ragnow’s signing bonus.
“Our precedent goes back to Barry Sanders,” Wood told the Detroit Free Press. “What if Barry Sanders returned the money… And I think the reality is that they are not returning their money, but our money. Because they were paid in advance for services that they had not completed.”
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Frank Ragnow (77) 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)
Kelce said he understands that the team would want its money back if the player retired without cause and if that player did not meet the requirements of the contract. In Ragnow’s case, Kelce thought the four-time Pro Bowl center retired due to health issues after leaving everything on the field.
“However, Frank was known for being injured and playing with injuries that most players wouldn’t play on constantly. Broken foot, a torn pectoral, multiple knee injuries, back issues. There was always something going on, and I’m sure he was continually dealing with 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 ailments that limit their availability on the field, that’s one of the reasons you want more guaranteed money up front.”
Ragnow retired before last season but attempted to return during November but failed a physical due to a torn hamstring. However, even though Ragnow retired due to injury, Wood considers the signing bonus to be the team’s 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 purpose of a signing bonus is to be an up-front guarantee that locks in a salary regardless of performance metrics or, more importantly, injuries that could compromise your career in the future,” Kelce wrote.
Including the playoffs, Ragnow played in 100 games for the Lions and made the Pro Bowl in four of the last five years of his career.
