Frank Ragnow’s laundry list of injuries, 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 center 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 Honors event in Las Vegas.
For the record, neither Ragnow nor Holmes used the term “retirement” when discussing his future. However, the pair’s statements following the NFC title game loss sparked suspicion and raised worries about Ragnow’s future. And that’s simply human nature when you consider what he’s been through 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.
