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The Detroit Lions forced retired Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow to pay back some 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 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 money back, in accordance with the spirit of the agreement, I think this is bulls— Frank is being asked to return money,” Kelce wrote to 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 physically taken its toll on, and his body was clearly no longer 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 sustain 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 from that contract counted $1.5 million each season against the salary cap from 2023-2026.
Lions president Rod Wood confirmed the team asked for a “portion” of Ragnow’s signing bonus.
“Our precedent goes all the way back to Barry Sanders,” Wood told the Detroit Free Press. “And if Barry Sanders paid money back… And I think the reality is, they’re not paying their money back, they’re returning our money. Because they were paid in advance for services that they hadn’t completed.”
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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, Calif., on Dec. 30, 2024. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)
Kelce said he understands the team wants its money back if the player withdrew without reason and if the player did not meet 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.
“But, Frank was known to be hurt and play through injuries most players wouldn’t play through consistently. Broken foot, a torn pelvis, multiple knee injuries, back issues. There was always something and I’m sure he was constantly dealing with multiple ailments to try to continue playing the game. His body had clearly deteriorated to a point where it was no longer physical, mental and it did football, probably no longer physical and it did football. wrote.
“In my opinion, the signing bonus is meant to protect players from future physical ailments that limit their availability on the pitch, that’s one of the reasons you want more guaranteed money up front.”
Ragnow retired before last season but attempted a comeback during November, but he failed a physical due to a torn hamstring. But despite Ragnow pulling out with an injury, Wood views the signing bonus as the team’s money.
“It’s the Lions’ money, it’s not the player’s 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, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Kelce said the purpose of the signing bonus is to be a guarantee upfront.
“The whole purpose of a signing bonus is to be a guarantee upfront that ensures a salary regardless of performance metrics, or most 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 final five years of his career.
