Frank Ragnow’s laundry list of ailments, along with general manager Brad Holmes’ statement that the Detroit Lions would give him space to reflect this summer, led many to believe that the All-Pro centre was considering retirement. Ragnow stopped that speculation abruptly, leaving no opportunity for interpretation.
“I’m not retiring,” Ragnow told the Detroit Free Press during the NFL Honours event in Las Vegas.
For the record, neither Ragnow nor Holmes ever used the term “retirement” while discussing his future. However, the pair’s statements following the NFC championship game loss sparked speculation and worries regarding Ragnow’s future. And that’s simply human nature when you look at what he’s done not only this season, but over the last three years.
His 2021 season was cut short after only four weeks due to a toe ailment that has plagued him ever since. And, while Ragnow claims the team’s new health director and training staff helped him “see the light” with his toe this season, the problem is defined as inoperable and requires regular maintenance throughout the season.
Ragnow played despite chronic pain in 2022. He still made the Pro Bowl despite garnering high rankings from sources such as Pro Football Focus and ESPN’s block win-rate statistics.
Then this season gave him a few curve balls. Ragnow suffered what appeared to be a serious knee injury against the New Orleans Saints in early December. He underwent a procedure and only missed one game due to a knee ailment before returning to action.
And this was when he was still dealing with knee, back, and toe concerns on the weekly injury report. Then, in the divisional-round triumph over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Ragnow damaged his knee and ankle. He played every offensive snap that day and all 72 the following week against the San Francisco 49ers to finish the season.
Ragnow has previously finished a game with a fractured throat, demonstrating his status as one of the league’s great warriors. The 27-year-old has also remained one of the league’s finest, if not the best, centres when he is on the pitch, whether completely healthy or not.
