Ragnow retiring?

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.

JimmyinSD wrote:

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

Yes, that is the name.  Drew a blank on it.  No he didn't retire, but wanted a guarantee if he played thru the injury.  Didn't get it, so he had surgery and was out that year.

Ragnow mentioned trying to work thru something, but it wasn't going like he hoped.  So it just seems similar, injuries, guarantees, the business side.  Don't remember who replaced Sullivan, but I remember it being quite brutal.

NFL OL rankings post-Ragnow retirement, Lions fall to 8th, Vikings 4th. 

https://ftnfantasy.com/nfl/2025-offensive-line-rankings

MaroonBells wrote:
NFL OL rankings post-Ragnow retirement, Lions fall to 8th, Vikings 4th. 

https://ftnfantasy.com/nfl/2025-offensive-line-rankings

Losing an All-Pro player shows up in the Win/Loss column .  

In the NFL, some things aren't fixable

greediron wrote:

Yes, that is the name.  Drew a blank on it.  No he didn't retire, but wanted a guarantee if he played thru the injury.  Didn't get it, so he had surgery and was out that year.

Ragnow mentioned trying to work thru something, but it wasn't going like he hoped.  So it just seems similar, injuries, guarantees, the business side.  Don't remember who replaced Sullivan, but I remember it being quite brutal.

Didn't Swilley replace Sullivan?  Not really sure though.

ArizonaViking wrote:

Didn't Swilley replace Sullivan?  Not really sure though.

I was thinking that was when Joe Berger took over?

ArizonaViking wrote:

Didn't Swilley replace Sullivan?  Not really sure though.

Too much time in the Sonoran sun? Swilley played about 20 years before Sully. So Berger and Easton replaced Sullivan, then we drafted Pat Elflein and he played there for a couple years. But I gotta stop, these crap OL names are giving me hives.

MaroonBells wrote:

Too much time in the Sonoran sun? Swilley played about 20 years before Sully. So Berger and Easton replaced Sullivan, then we drafted Pat Elflein and he played there for a couple years. But I gotta stop, these crap OL names are giving me hives.

It's not even a hundred degrees yet... lol  You're right about the centers though and times they played.

Mattyman wrote:


Losing an  All-Pro player shows up in the Win/Loss column .  

In the NFL, some things aren't fixable

I think what makes it hurt even worse is it was unexpected. They had no chance to really prepare properly like a NFL team would if they would have known in February. Detroit still has a top 10 NFL offensive line, which is saying something when losing a top center.