Detroit Lions C Frank Ragnow shuts down retirement talk

Detroit Lions center Frank Ragnow announced he isn’t retiring at the NFL Honors red carpet event.

Detroit Lions center Frank Ragnow is not considering early retirement. Let’s get that out of the way first. The All-Pro offensive lineman told Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press in no uncertain terms that he plans on playing in 2024.

“I’m not retiring,” Ragnow said at the NFL Honors red carpet event in Las Vegas.

Later expanding, “I just need a few weeks to get healthy,” he said. “I guess my typical offseason routine is kind of get right back into it, but I think as I’m getting older I need to understand that sometimes maybe less is more. And I just need some time to make sure I’m healthy and then we’ll get rolling again.”

Ragnow raised some eyebrows last week when talking to the media on locker clean-out day.

“I need to find a way to get back to Frank and I don’t regret any of this at all, but it weighs on you,” Ragnow said at the time. “And I’m just going to take some time and really figure everything out to make sure that I’m feeling good, not only for me the football player but for me to be the best husband and best father and everything with that as well.”

Some interpreted those comments as contemplation of retirement, and when asked about Ragnow’s future, Lions general manager Brad Holmes simply said he’ll give Ragnow all the space he needs to make a decision.

“We’re not going to pressure him to do anything or make any moves,” Holmes said. “But the communication will be diligent. It’ll be thorough, it’ll be respectful.”

Well, no pressure need. Ragnow will be back in 2024, and that’s great news for a Lions team looking to run it back to the NFC Championship and further.