Lions great Frank Ragnow explains abrupt retirement, failed comeback attempt
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Former Detroit Lions star center Frank Ragnow had a wild 2025 NFL season despite not playing at all.
Ragnow, 30, retired suddenly over the summer and announced his retirement on social media. He attempted to return to the field and sign with the Lions in November, but was unsuccessful in his physical performance due to a Grade 3 hamstring strain.
The four-time Pro Bowler said in the offseason last year that he never considered retiring.
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Frank Ragnow of the Detroit Lions looks on from the sideline during the national anthem before the NFL game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on December 30, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Perry Knotts/Getty Images)
“I was trying to get myself to be willing to play to get a straight shot at you, and my body was telling me otherwise. And I was like paralyzed, so to speak,” Ragnow said. to ESPN. “Believe it or not, I wasn’t planning on retiring in the middle of the summer. I was trying to say to the guys and the fans, ‘You can do it’… like, this is you.”
“But it’s like I’m uncomfortable and this is one of those situations where you have a couple of kids and I don’t want a sob story,” Ragnow said. “I’ll be totally fine and everything, but there’s this whole thing of ‘is it worth the juicing?’ and to me, it ultimately came down to that decision, and obviously I struggled with that decision, too.”
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Detroit Lions’ Frank Ragnow watches the NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium on December 30, 2024 in Santa Clara, California. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)
Ragnow said he continues to stay in shape, which is why he’s looking to retire in November. He said he knew his hamstring hurt but had no idea how bad the injury was.
“I got injured a day or two before I got there and that’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 put my head on the pillow at night and tried. I tried for the team. I tried for the fans. And it wasn’t meant to be that way.”
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Detroit Lions center Frank Ragnow warms up before his game against the Buffalo Bills on December 15, 2024 at Ford Field in Detroit. (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. Following the 2021 season, Lions general manager Brad Holmes signed Ragnow to a four-year, $54 million contract, making him the league’s highest-paid center at the time.
The center, who has battled injuries throughout his career but remains one of the best centers in the sport, made the Pro Bowl in consecutive seasons after signing the contract. Ragnow played in 16 games during his senior season due to a partially torn pectoral muscle.
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