Detroit Lions center Frank Ragnow announces retirement after 7 seasons
Pro Bowl Detroit Lions center Frank Ragnow is calling it a career.
Ragnow wrote on Instagram that he is retiring after seven seasons with the Lions after dealing a slew of recurring injuries.
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) talks to center Frank Ragnow (77) during warm up before the Tennessee Titans game at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024.
"These past couple of months have been very trying as I've come to the realization that my football journey is ending and I'm officially retiring from the NFL," Ragnow wrote. "I've tried to convince myself that I'm feeling good but I'm not and it's time to prioritize my health and my families (sic) future."
Advertisement
Ragnow, a first-round pick out of Arkansas in 2018, played in 16 games and made his fourth Pro Bowl last season, when he said he finished the season as health as he'd been in years.
Ragnow has battled foot problems since 2021, when he tore the plantar plate in his left foot in Week 4 and missed the rest of the year. He called his toe injury inoperable in the spring of 2023.
That fall, Ragnow made the Pro Bowl after playing 16 games despite toe, knee and ankle injuries, and he acknowledged after the season he was contemplating his future.
Ragnow, who turned 29 last month and had two years left on his contract, was not taking part in formal offseason workouts with the Lions this spring
Advertisement
"I have given this team everything I have and I thought I had more to give, but the reality is I simply don't," Ragnow wrote on Instagram. "I have to listen to my body and this has been one of the hardest decisions of my life. The Lions organization has been absolutely incredible throughout this process and I can't emphasize this enough how grateful I am for this team and all the fans. It was an absolute honor going to battle for you all."
Tate Ratledge, a second-round pick out of Georgia, has been taking first-team reps at center in Ragnow's absence and is the leading candidate to replace Ragnow on the Lions' offensive line.
Ratledge was a three-year starter at right guard for Georgia.
Dave Birkett is the author of the book, "Detroit Lions: An Illustrated Timeline." Order your copy here. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions' Frank Ragnow retires after 7 seasons
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Jahmai Jones, a father's memory and a Detroit legacy that lives on
DETROIT — Jahmai Jones has three words stitched on his outfield glove. Flip the switch. That's one of the mantras his late father, Andre, always preached. He taught his children to be kind and compassionate off the field. But when the lights came on, when the game started, he wanted them to be focused and intense. Advertisement Like that glove, there are other reminders. Jahmai still has a Bible verse in his social media bios. Matthew 10:16, a verse Andre often recited to his children. I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. He owns a pendant inscribed with a message that reminds him of his father. Those are the small things. The daily reminders of who Andre Jones was and what he stood for. 'I don't know,' Jahmai said this weekend, 'if I've had a single day when I haven't given thought to something or something hasn't come up that I'd love to share with him or talk about or ask for advice. Doesn't matter. It's every day.' Andre was a football player at Notre Dame from 1987 to 1990. He won a national title with the Fighting Irish, then played as a defensive end for the Detroit Lions in 1992. Jahmai was 13 the day it happened, the day everything changed. Andre passed out in the bathroom. The ambulance came and whisked him to the hospital. At first, the family hoped it was something minor. Then they learned Andre suffered a brain aneurysm. There was no brain activity. Like that, he was gone at age 42. 'It's just a hard thing to explain to someone who hasn't experienced it,' Jahmai said. 'It was just very foreign. It was very foreign to me until it happened. Once it happened, you're like, 'Man, there's all these emotions that come with it.' All these experiences you have to go through.' Jahmai, one of six children, was about to start his freshman year of high school in Georgia. He was old enough to understand, to process, to remember. But the thing about grief is that it's an ongoing emotion. No set endpoint. Not a linear progression. It's a loop, one that can go back or forward or repeat without warning. The feelings and memories might fade. Then it can catch you out of nowhere, hitting all fresh and new again. Advertisement It's not always sadness. Not even pain. Maybe just a thought, an idea, a reflection and a reminder of something no longer there. 'I think now, especially, I'm 27,' Jahmai said. 'Thirteen years later (my understanding) is a lot different. But the thoughts, still thinking about him, have not changed from 13 to now.' A post shared by Jahmai Jones (@jamjones7) It's there in the lonely quiet of daily life. Thoughts, mantras, pendants. Sometimes it's more palpable in the big moments, when you want to share something with someone who is gone. Jahmai thought of that a lot on Friday when he was called up to play for the Detroit Tigers, here in the same city where his father and older brother, T.J., both played for the Detroit Lions. T.J. was a receiver from 2015 to 2018, had 64 receptions over four seasons. That's the last time Jahmai was in Detroit, across the street at Ford Field watching his brother play. Another brother, Malachi, played in the Arena Football League and the CFL. 'Detroit's got a special place in my heart just because of the family side,' he said. 'Being able to do it myself and add to it, it's everything I can ask for.' Jahmai thought of Dad soon after he got the call and learned he was coming to Detroit. A car service picked him up from a minor-league series in Columbus, Ohio. He scrambled to pack his hotel room, grab his baseball gear and pack it all in the car. 'I got all the necessities,' he said. 'I got my wallet. Got my phone. Got my keys. Got my baseball stuff. Everything else, I'll figure it out later. If the clothes get left, the clothes get left.' He thought of his father as he finally arrived at Comerica Park and dove straight into preparing for the game. He credits his parents as the primary reason he is here. Andre was a larger-than-life influence. His mother, Michele, raised the kids as a single mother after Andre's death. For all the tiny reminders, Jones said he honors his father the most by the way he tries to live his life. Advertisement 'How he wanted his kids to carry themselves throughout the world, it's a testament to him and my mom,' Jones said. 'Love the people that I love and be caring to others. That's all a reflection of him.' And he surely thought of his father in the aftermath of a thrilling game Friday night, one when he was summoned from the bench to pinch hit in the eighth inning. He hit a home run on the first pitch he saw. The Tigers beat the Chicago Cubs 3-1 in a matchup of two of the league's best teams. In a series in which the Tigers took two of three from the powerful Cubs, Jones was the prevailing story of the weekend. 'I thought about it a lot last night,' Jones said Saturday morning. 'Talking with my wife, talking with my family. It's kind of a full-circle moment.' It's been a strange year for Jones. There was the serendipity of signing a minor-league deal with the Tigers, of having the chance to carry on his family's Detroit sports legacy. The Tigers identified Jones as a valuable right-handed bat who could play all over the diamond, the type of player who very much fits their M.O. 'We chased him hard from the very beginning of minor-league free agency,' Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. 'Our front office did a nice job of identifying him but also seeking him on how we could maximize his skill set.' Jones showed up to spring training on the fringes. A second-round pick in 2015, Jones is now playing for his sixth organization. He quickly impressed and made a case for himself. He appeared, for a moment, to have a very real chance of making the team as injuries hit the rest of the Tigers' outfield. It didn't work out that way. The Tigers broke camp without him. Jones went down to Triple-A Toledo. 'He arguably had the best spring to not break with our team,' Hinch said. 'We didn't configure the roster with him, and in typical Jahmai fashion, didn't get bitter, didn't get mad, didn't waste his time in the minor leagues.' Advertisement Indeed, Jones kept grinding and working away. He saw a chance in this organization, even when others got called before him. Maybe there's another lesson intertwined with all this. Maybe one that — kind of like grief — won't fully make sense until years down the road. Because when the Tigers sent down Andy Ibáñez to find his swing and the chance finally came, Jones was ready. On the field before Friday's game, he bounced around with a smile. 'All I want to do is contribute,' he said. He waited on the bench all game. Talked with injured Tiger Matt Vierling about how to stay ready. Hinch called his number, inserted him for powerful left-handed hitter Kerry Carpenter in the bottom of the eighth inning. The first pitch was a curveball, hanging and ripe. Jones connected, sent it looping toward the left-field fence. For a moment, he didn't think he got enough. '(Ian) Happ was going back on it and was jogging, jogging, going back to the fence,' Jahmai said. 'I was like, 'Dang, I really got too under it.'' But Happ kept running. He finally reached the wall and ran out of room. The ball kept soaring, too. It cleared the fence. 'I'm proud of him,' Hinch said. 'I'm happy for him.' No matter what happens from here, Jones will have that moment. Another memory. A legacy that continues, in ways big and small. 'I'm still able to enjoy every single big moment I'm able to have,' Jahmai said. 'It's just when you're wanting to share it with people you love, the people you love are always at the forefront. No matter if they're here or not, you always think about them.'
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Why Commanders Must Be Very Careful With Terry McLaurin Extension
Why Commanders Must Be Very Careful With Terry McLaurin Extension originally appeared on Athlon Sports. It's a mistake made by many teams around the league. Organizations become so loyal to particular players that they look to give them large contract extensions even when they are past their prime or otherwise slightly unworthy. Advertisement Sometimes, teams extend a player to a long-term deal only to watch their production fall off a cliff after a few years. That's a lesson the Washington Commanders know they must be careful with regarding Pro Bowl wide receiver Terry McLaurin. The Ohio State product is entering the final year of his contract with Washington, and is coming off his best season. He recorded a career-high 13 touchdowns with rookie phenom Jayden Daniels throwing him the football. McLaurin is going to be 30 years old by the time the 2025 season begins, though. While he hasn't shown any signs of slowing down just yet, a decline can happen to any aging player. Advertisement If Washington is going to give their top receiver a long-term extension, they want to make sure they have enough protection on their own end where they won't be hurt by the cap if McLaurin's production dips. It is about a contract with escapability. Add it all up? And it's a good enough reason for the receiver to be frustrated with how contract talks have gone. Washington could be in deep trouble if they extend McLaurin and his Pro Bowl production isn't matched as he gets older. Giving him an extension in the $30 million APY range without the Commanders providing themselves an Eventual out may do more harm than good for the team in the long term. Advertisement That doesn't mean McLaurin isn't worthy of an extension; he absolutely is. It just means Washington needs to be extra careful how they spend their money now and over the next few years. … with a compromise here being the eventual best answer. Related: Commanders Fans Laugh at Giants OTAs Fight in Bizarre Take Related: Commanders' Veteran Entering 'Make-Or-Break' Season This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
The Washington Commanders are still balking on a Terry McLaurin contract extension. Could they accept any of these "can't refuse" trade offers?
The Washington Commanders are still balking on a Terry McLaurin contract extension. Could they accept any of these "can't refuse" trade offers? originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin is coming off a career-best season in 2024, earning 2nd Team All-Pro honors and his second Pro Bowl nod after catchin 13 touchdowns - the second most in the NFL. Advertisement The performance rightfully commands that McLaurin get compensated with a top-tier salary on his upcoming contract extension ... but for whatever reason, the Commanders are taking their time getting around to a deal. McLaurin is now reportedly "frustrated with the lack of progress" on a long-term extension. He will enter his seventh season with the organization in 2025, but as he's in the final year of his current contract, the star receiver could be traded if his relationship with the team continues to go south. Multiple teams would come calling with huge offers for McLaurin if he was made available. He has stopped attended voluntary practices, and missing mandatory minicamp this month could angrily urge the Commanders to at least hear team's out about a trade. Bleacher Report has named six trade packages that Washington "couldn't refuse" if they came calling. Advertisement Arizona Cardinals Cardinals Get: WR Terry McLaurin Commanders Get: 2026 2nd-round pick, Edge Zaven Collins Pairing McLaurin with a future All-Pro in Marvin Harrison Jr. would be a picturesque situation for quarterback Kyler Murray, who is entering a pivotal stage in his career and in need of competitive experience. Collins is coming off a career-high five sacks. Experienced defensive linemen, especially on the edge, could be a position Washington would be most interested in pursuing after losses to Dante Fowler Jr. and Johnathan Allen. Los Angeles Chargers Chargers Get: WR Terry McLaurin, 2026 3rd-round pick Advertisement Commanders Get: 2026 2nd-round pick, 2026 4th-round pick, WR Quentin Johnston Premium draft capital along with a promising prospect in Johnston makes the Chargers an intriguing option. Johnston hasn't lived up to his second-round NFL Draft status from a couple seasons ago, but at just 23 years old, standing at 6-4, and in a dynamic offense? Maybe he could figure things out in Washington and become a great complement to receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. for quarterback Jayden Daniels. New York Jets Jets Get: WR Terry McLaurin, RB Austin Ekeler, 2025 5th-round pick Commanders Get: 2026 2nd-round pick, RB Breece Hall Advertisement Hall has been centered around numerous trade talks this offseason with rumors of first-year head coach Aaron Glenn considering a running-back-by-committee approach. Washington's starter Brian Robinson Jr. was solid last year, but a younger and equally as productive ball carrier in Hall could take pressure off the ground game being dominated by the dual-threat Daniels (like how it was at times in 2024). Pittsburgh Steelers Steelers Get: WR Terry McLaurin Commanders Get: 2026 1st-round pick, 2027 5th-round pick (from Cowboys) Now that the Steelers locked down their quarterback in Aaron Rodgers, they'll want to surround him with reliable weapons besides just DK Metcalf. McLaurin is as reliable as it gets with five 1,000 yards in five of his six seasons. Advertisement The Steelers could be desperate to cough up a coveted first-round pick in this deal, something that could easily get the Commanders' attention. Tennessee Titans Titans Get: WR Terry McLaurin Commanders Get: 2026 2nd-round pick, 2027 5th-round pick, WR Treylon Burks Similarly, the Titans found their next starter in Cam Ward, although he was taken in this year's NFL Draft and is expected to last much longer than the 41-year-old Rodgers in Pittsburgh. Tennessee has also done extremely well in giving Ward all the targets he needs to immediately thrive. McLaurin could be another at the right price. Burks has had a slow start to his career, but showed quality potential when he was entering the Draft. He could be another experiment piece that could benefit from a different - and winning - environment. Advertisement New England Patriots Patriots Get: WR Terry McLaurin Commanders Get: 2026 2nd-round pick, TE Austin Hooper Tight end could quickly become another in-need position with the re-signed Zach Ertz turning 35 soon. Hooper is four years younger and already has two Pro Bowls to prove his ability to be productive. In all of these trades, Washington could at least be expecting to get quality draft picks in a deal for McLaurin. With a few more years of a young offense under Daniels, now could be the best time to build a foundation for long-term success with top draft talent. Washington will likely make the wise decision of paying their All-Pro who has paid his dues on the field for years. Advertisement But with McLaurin's trade value at an all-time high, maybe answering the calls and hearing the offers is a way for the Commanders to kickstart the decision-making process. Related: Inside The One Thing Commanders Need in New Terry McLaurin Contract Related: Major Issue Arises In McLaurin, Commanders Extension Talks This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
