The Detroit Lions took a big blow to their roster when starting center Frank Ragnow announced his retirement after playing all seven seasons with Detroit.
Ragnow, 29, was the 20th overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft, the first player at his position taken that year, and became a standout over the course of his career in which he was named Second-Team All-Pro three times and was a four-time Pro Bowl selection.
In his time with Detroit, Ragnow also displayed world-class toughness that impressed his former offensive coordinator and current Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson. One day after Ragnow’s retirement announcement, Johnson reflected on Ragnow’s career and his retirement announcement.
“I don’t know if I’ve been around a tougher player in my life than him,” Johnson said. “He was a pleasure to coach, a pleasure to be around. He makes everyone around him better. The number of injuries that he had, and he was still able to play through, it’s pretty remarkable. Whether you were in that locker room with him, or you competed against him, I think that everybody in this league had a high, high level of respect for him.”
Given the amount of time that Johnson has spent in the league, it’s high praise to call Ragnow the toughest player that he has been around in his coaching career. It’s a big loss for the Lions, as they’ve now lost Johnson to Chicago, former defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn (who became the head coach of the New York Jets), and now Ragnow. All three played a key role with the team, and head coach Dan Campbell will have his work cut out for him to stay atop the NFC North.
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