Lions center Frank Ragnow reiterates he is not considering retirement

As a fanbase, it was only natural for Detroit Lions fans to speculate how long center Frank Ragnow would continue to play in the NFL. The man has gone through a ton of injuries throughout his entire career—most notably a toe injury that has lingered for three seasons, causing him to be a weekly guest on the team’s injury report. Speculation only ramped up when Ragnow dropped some vague words about his future after Detroit’s exit in the conference championship game.

“I need to find a way to get back to Frank and I don’t regret any of this at all, but it weighs on you,” Ragnow said. “And I’m just going to take some time and really figure everything out to make sure that I’m feeling good, not only for me the football player but for me to be the best husband and best father and everything with that as well.”

But on Thursday, Ragnow—for the second time—reiterated that those words were misinterpreted and he is not considering retirement.

“I was frustrated,” Ragnow told the Detroit News during his charity event. “It was kind of annoying. All I said was I’m going to need some time to heal up the day after the game. That was my intention and then it took off, which was kind of annoying, but it is what it is.”

Rogers added, “Ragnow, 27, isn’t retiring. It’s not something he’s even considering.”

Ragnow, who has three years remaining on his contract, has been a key cog in Detroit’s top-flight offense. Not only has he been a big reason Detroit’s running game has excelled, but his knowledge of the game makes him a huge asset when it comes to pre-snap reads and adjustments.

“Frank loves that stuff,” coach Dan Campbell said. “There are some guys that get a lot of anxiety over that, and Frank is not that way. Like Frank loves that. He loves to be tested in that regard.”

As for his health, Ragnow said that a combination of injury management last year and rest this offseason has him feeling healthier than he has in years.

“I feel really good. I feel as good as I’ve felt in a while,” Ragnow said per the Detroit News. “This has been my best offseason, 100%. I really dove into a lot of things to take care of my body and I feel like I’m clicking right now. The goal is to keep it a steady trajectory into the season.”