By Blessing 
Graham Glasgow’s Silent Struggle: How One Injury Haunted Him Long After the Lions’ Playoff Exit
On Monday, Detroit Lions veteran offensive lineman Graham Glasgow revealed something fans didn’t see coming—he played through a painful high ankle sprain during Detroit’s playoff loss to the Washington Commanders.
The injury, which happened early in the game, wasn’t just a one-week issue—it stuck with him until March, quietly affecting his offseason and performance. Speaking to Justin Rogers of the Detroit Football Network, Glasgow admitted that pushing through the pain wasn’t his smartest decision.
> “In hindsight,” Glasgow said, “he should have come out of the game, but with Kevin Zeitler already out with injury, [he] put pressure on [himself] to fight through the pain. It backfired…”
And that it did. Glasgow allowed nine pressures in that playoff game—statistically one of the worst outings of his NFL career. But context matters. Zeitler, another key lineman, was already unavailable, and Glasgow, feeling the weight of that absence, decided to grit it out for the team.
It was a tough call—and one that may have cost both him and the Lions dearly.
Now, several months later, things are finally looking up for Glasgow. Fully recovered and back on the field at training camp, he’s found new energy and clarity. Though he started camp at right guard, he’s now sliding into the center position, a spot that brings both responsibility and satisfaction.
> “I do like playing center,” Glasgow shared. “Center’s fun. I like the mental load that comes with it. I think there’s — it’s a challenge, but I think that’s something that I’m pretty good at, so I like to do it.”
It’s more than just about preference. Glasgow thrives in high-responsibility roles, and he feels like if he’s going to think about protection calls anyway, he might as well be the one making them.
With rookies Christian Mahogany and Tate Ratledge flanking him at guard, Glasgow’s experience at center could be the key to keeping Detroit’s interior line steady post-Frank Ragnow.
> “It’s just making sure that we can trust each other and that we know how we are going to do things,” he said. “I think that overall things have gone pretty well right now. I don’t really have a lot of complaints.”
Graham Glasgow’s story is a quiet example of the grit this Lions team is built on—but also of growth. He pushed through pain for the team, but now, he’s stepping into a leadership role that might define this new chapter in Detroit.