Happy Thanksgiving, Lions fans. One of the best offensive linemen in your team’s history is set to make a comeback.
Center Frank Ragnow is coming out of retirement and re-joining the Lions. The team seemed to make the announcement in a simple social media post, sharing an old image of Ragnow taking the field for the Lions, before NFL Media confirmed that it was a comeback announcement.
Ragnow, 29, announced his retirement after seven seasons in the league back in June. As the move was a bit of a surprise at the time, it was also a blow to a Lions team seeking to contend for a Super Bowl title. Ragnow was still arguably one of the league’s best interior offensive linemen at the time of his retirement, earning his fourth Pro Bowl honor in 2024. He was also named second-team All-Pro for the third time in his career last season.
Now, Ragnow joins a Detroit team that’s still in the title hunt. The Lions are off to a 7-4 start, trailing the Bears by one game in the NFC North. However, the Lions have been a bit banged up as of late, and starting center Graham Glasgow has a knee injury that will keep him out of Thursday’s game against the Packers.
Ragnow won’t be able to play in that game against Green Bay, and it’s unknown when his first game back will be. But his return is certainly welcomed news for Detroit. On top of the accolades, Ragnow graded out as Pro Football Focus’ third-best center for the 2024 season. It credited him for allowing just two sacks and 21 pressures, including the postseason, as he helped the Lions form one of the league’s top offensive lines in recent years.
In addition to Ragnow’s strong performance on the field, he was also arguably the toughest guy in the league prior to his retirement. He played with a partially torn pectoral muscle for much of the 2024 season. In 2023, Ragnow only missed one game after undergoing surgery to repair his meniscus. He later suffered a sprained ankle and knee during the Lions’ NFC Divisional Round win over the Buccaneers that season, but didn’t miss a snap.
But Ragnow’s most memorable instance of prevailing through an injury came in 2020, when he fractured his throat during a game. He played the entirety of the game he suffered that injury, despite not being able to communicate. He wound up missing the next two games.
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