Ragnow retiring?

He’s been gutting out the last couple seasons on sheer will. Loved him coming out. That’s two big holes blasted in the iOL for the Lions.

Already gone from the depth chart. This seems real. So why do I not believe it? If true, that is a massive blow to the Lions. 

https://www.ourlads.com/nfldepthcharts/depthchart/DET

MaroonBells wrote:
Already gone from the depth chart. This seems real. So why do I not believe it? If true, that is a massive blow to the Lions. 

https://www.ourlads.com/nfldepthcharts/depthchart/DET

NFL twitted about this also.

Lions have now lost their starting center, a 3X All Pro some considered the best center in the league (he'll be replaced by a rookie), AND his next door neighbor, Kevin Zeitler, who had a 86.5 PFF grade last year. They're replacing Zeitler with Graham Glasgow who struggled and was benched late last year. 

Their tackles are still very good, but their IOL might look a lot like ours last year. Maybe an opening for the Vikings.

MaroonBells wrote:
Lions have now lost their starting center, a 3X All Pro some considered the best center in the league (he'll be replaced by a rookie), AND his next door neighbor, Kevin Zeitler, who had a 86.5 PFF grade last year. They're replacing Zeitler with Graham Glasgow who struggled and was benched late last year. 

Their tackles are still very good, but their IOL might look a lot like ours last year. Maybe an opening for the Vikings.

And which team in the division just upgraded their IDL this off-season?

*Evil laugh*

Well....

Didn't Ragnow go to High School in the Cities? Seems like it was Western Suburbs somewhere like Minnetonka. I know the Badgers recruited him pretty heavily.

Good luck to Ragnow. NFL lineman carry an unnatural amount of weight...it can take a heavy toll on the body.

It will be fun to see if Detroit ends up with a similar mess in the interior o-line this year as the Vikings have for several years.

badgervike wrote:
Didn't Ragnow go to High School in the Cities?  Seems like it was Western Suburbs somewhere like Minnetonka.  I know the Badgers recruited him pretty heavily.

Good luck to Ragnow.  NFL lineman carry an unnatural amount of weight...it can take a heavy toll on the body.

It will be fun to see if Detroit ends up with a similar mess in the interior o-line this year as the Vikings have for several years.

Chanhassen but not far off

I certainly like the idea of instability on their line in front of a guy who has Cousin-esque movement skills in Goff. I'm sure this was something the Lions would have liked to have known prior to the draft as this could be the chink in their otherwise stout armor..

Well, our guy Kelly is 32 now I believe...They need to be on the look-out for a C this next off-season

I'm not sure that guy is on the roster now?

MaroonBells wrote:
Lions have now lost their starting center, a 3X All Pro some considered the best center in the league (he'll be replaced by a rookie), AND his next door neighbor, Kevin Zeitler, who had a 86.5 PFF grade last year. They're replacing Zeitler with Graham Glasgow who struggled and was benched late last year. 

Their tackles are still very good, but their IOL might look a lot like ours last year. Maybe an opening for the Vikings.

Would be so fun to run their game plan from last year back against them.

Whoa! Odd time of year for a veteran under contract to retire. There’s a story behind this…. And yes a major blow to the Lions. Options at this time of year are slim. https://t.co/54U29OFk9s

— PeteBercich (@PeteBercich) June 2, 2025

JustInTime wrote:
https://x.com/petebercich/status/1929579708682756226?s=46&t=TjjB9Q4BmOwmN74RrrMjoQ

I agree with Bercich,  something is off here with the timing,  this seems to have something personal or health related to it.  Top tier veterans dont retire out of the blue in June unless something is sideways.

purplefaithful wrote:
Well, our guy Kelly is 32 now I believe...They need to be on the look-out for a C this next off-season

I'm not sure that guy is on the roster now?

There seems to be a lot of C available in 2026.

The Lions are just the latest example in a long line of how you gotta make hay when you get to the CG...You never know what the next off-season brings.

The Bengals are another poster child for it.

The NFL is truly a league of windows you get to try and win in.

purplefaithful wrote:
Well, our guy Kelly is 32 now I believe...They need to be on the look-out for a C this next off-season

I'm not sure that guy is on the roster now?

I dont find 32 very concerning for an OL,  sure they can decide to retire,  but quite a few can play until their mid 30s at a high level.

Don't Care.

Dan Campbell is the kind of coach I detest.
I get that you're all ankle biting, gung-ho, but at some point you've gotta realize the sophmoric BS is just reckless.

JustInTime wrote:
https://x.com/petebercich/status/1929579708682756226?s=46&t=TjjB9Q4BmOwmN74RrrMjoQ

Reminds me of our center, wasn't Birk, who was the short legged fireplug after him?  He wanted and injury guarantee and the Vikes wouldn't give it to him.

greediron wrote:

Reminds me of our center, wasn't Birk, who was the short legged fireplug after him?  He wanted and injury guarantee and the Vikes wouldn't give it to him.

John Sullivan,  but he didn't retire,  he played for the skins and rams after MN.

I've seen people confuse these two words at least four times in the last few weeks. People, "beneficiary" is the one who benefits. "Benefactor" is the one who provides the benefit. Silly kitty fans.

Question of the day: Who is the biggest benefactor from Frank Ragnow’s retirement?
My answer: It has to be Graham Glasgow. With the Lions trading up for two guards and Christian Mahogany having a strong rookie season, there was already plenty of pressure on Glasgow entering 2025. Factor in that his three competitors are on rookie contracts, and, well, the odds of him being a cap casualty were nontrivial.

Now, the picture appears almost more straightforward than it did when Ragnow was starting. Glasgow feels like the most natural pick to fill the gap at center, as he played center for a period during his first stint with the Lions, also in Denver in 2022, and has spot started since his return to Detroit. This opens up room for rookies Tate Ratledge and Miles Frazier to battle with Christian Mahogany for the starting guard roles.

Glasgow’s versatility and experience at center are suddenly at a premium, especially considering it’s too late for the Lions to address the center position in free agency or the draft. Of course, things can change over the course of training camp, but it feels like Glasgow’s 2025 outlook suddenly got a lot better.

Who do you think is the biggest benefactor from Frank Ragnow’s retirement? Vote below and let us know your thoughts.