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Former Detroit Lions star center Frank Ragnow had a wild 2025 NFL season despite never playing a snap.
Ragnow, 30, abruptly retired over the summer, announcing his retirement on social media. In November, he attempted to return to the field and sign with the Lions, only to fail his physical with 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 watches from the sidelines during the national anthem before an NFL game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on December 30, 2023. (Perry Knotts/Getty Images)
“To shoot it straight to you, I was trying to will myself to play and my body was telling me something else. And I was just in like a paralysis, if you will,” Ragnow said, according to ESPN. “I wasn’t going to retire 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, it’s who you are.
“But it’s like, I was 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 fine and all, but it’s one of those ‘is the juices worth the squeeze,’ and for me it ultimately came down to that decision, and of course I struggled with that decision as well.”
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Frank Ragnow of the Detroit Lions looks on 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 tried to retire in November. He said he knew his hamstring was sore, but he had no idea how bad the injury was.
“I got hurt 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 I put 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/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. After the 2021 season, Lions general manager Brad Holmes made Ragnow the league’s highest-paid center at the time with a four-year, $54 million contract.
The center made the Pro Bowl in consecutive seasons after signing as he remained one of the best centers in the sport despite battling injuries throughout his career. In his final season, Ragnow played through a partially torn pectoral muscle and still played in 16 games.
