Four-time Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow is retiring and joining the Detroit Lions, multiple media outlets reported Wednesday.
The Lions appeared to confirm the news by posting a photo of Ragnow on their social media sites.
It’s unclear when Ragnow will return to Detroit (7-4), which trails the Chicago Bears (8-3) and Green Bay Packers (7-3-1) in the NFC North. The Lions host the Packers on Thursday afternoon.
Ragnow, 29, started all 96 games he played in his seven NFL seasons before ending his career in June, saying he wanted to prioritize health and family.
He apparently had a change of heart, and at the right time for the Lions. His successor, Graham Glasgow, is dealing with a knee injury while guard Christian Mahogany is on injured reserve with a leg injury.
A first-round pick out of Arkansas, Ragnow was named to the All-Pro second team last season.
Ragnow has often been praised for playing through injuries. In 2021, he played with a “fractured throat” after missing two games and he battled through a partially torn pectoral muscle after being ruled out for just one game, Monday night’s trip to Seattle.
Ragnow suffered from chronic toe injuries, the onset of which he said began with a torn plantar plate in his foot in 2021.
–Field level media
