Frank Ragnow, one of the toughest and most respected centers in the NFL—and a beloved Arkansas Razorback—officially hung up his cleats Monday after a seven-year run with the Detroit Lions.
Ragnow, 29, made the announcement on social media, saying he’s tried to convince himself he could keep going but finally had to listen to his body. “I thought I had more to give,” he wrote, “but the reality is I simply don’t.”
A first-round pick by Detroit in 2018, Ragnow became a cornerstone of the Lions’ resurgence under coach Dan Campbell. He earned four Pro Bowl nods and three second-team All-Pro selections, all while battling through a laundry list of injuries—including playing an entire season with a fractured throat.
But Ragnow’s football legacy started well before Detroit. Recruited by Sam Pittman during his days as Arkansas’ O-line coach, Ragnow was part of the Razorbacks’ massive and widely hyped offensive line unit that graced the team’s 2015 media guide cover. He quickly earned national recognition, from SEC All-Freshman honors in 2014 to first-team All-American by Pro Football Focus in 2016.
He kept pushing through pain in college, too—famously playing on a high ankle sprain against Auburn in 2017 before surgery ended his senior season.
In 2021, after proving himself as one of the league’s best linemen, Ragnow signed a four-year, $54 million extension to become the highest-paid center in the NFL at the time. Even through nagging toe, knee, ankle, and pectoral injuries, he kept anchoring Detroit’s offensive front and earned back-to-back-to-back Pro Bowl selections from 2022 to 2024.
“This has been one of the hardest decisions of my life,” Ragnow said. “The Lions organization has been absolutely incredible, and I’ll forever be grateful for this team and its fans.”
One of the NFL’s true warriors is stepping away, and both Razorback Nation and Detroit fans will be feeling his absence in the trenches.
Arkansas Legend and Lions Center Frank Ragnow Calls It a Career After Seven Gritty NFL Seasons
