The Lions just can’t catch a break. After long struggling with nagging injuries, star offensive lineman Frank Ragnow announced today that he was retiring from the NFL after seven seasons. The decision has come as a shock to Lions fans. Though the 29-year-old Ragnow has dealt with ailments on-and-off for the past three seasons, the 4-time Pro Bowl center seemed focused on coming back this year and helping to finally lead Detroit to Super Bowl glory.
In his retirement announcement posted to his Instagram account, Ragnow said that despite his willingness to continue, his body just didn’t seem able. “I’ve tried to convince myself that I’m feeling good but I’m not and it’s time to prioritize my health and my families (sic) future,” Ragnow stated. “I have given this team everything I have and I thought I had more to give, but the reality is I simply don’t. I have to listen to my body and this has been one of the hardest decisions of my life.”
After years of ineptitude and setbacks, the Detroit Lions had finally turned the corner. Beginning with a solid 2022 NFL season in which they just narrowly missed out on the playoffs with a 9-8 record, the Lions won the NFC North with an impressive 12-5 finish in 2023. And just last season, Detroit looked like bona fide Super Bowl contenders after amassing an impressive 15-2 record, repeating as NFC North champs. Unfortunately, both campaigns ended in bitter exits, with 2023 ending in the NFC Championship round against the San Francisco 49ers, and 2024 coming to a screeching halt following an upset defeat at the hands of the Washington Commanders in the Divisional Round.
This isn’t the first time that Lions fans have been dealt a crushing blow in terms of one of their stars retiring early during their prime years. Legendary running back Barry Sanders infamously called it quits at the eleventh hour in 1999, despite coming off 10 straight Pro Bowl seasons and being just two seasons removed from winning an MVP award. In his book, Barry Sanders: Now You See Him, Sanders pointed to financial disputes with the Lions’ upper management, as well as its vision for the franchise, as the main reasons for his sudden retirement.
Similarly, wide receiver Calvin Johnson retired at the peak of his powers following the 2015 season due to injury concerns and for just not being into playing football anymore. Poor team performance also seemed to play a factor.
Is Ragnow equal to any of those players? Not really. Despite the linemen being undeniably great, Sanders and Johnson were generational players who were among the greatest players to ever put on cleats. Regardless, this retirement is sure to have several effects on the Lions’ offense in 2025.
Will Frank Ragnow’s Retirement Affect The Lions In Madden 26?
In real life, Frank Ragnow’s retirement will sure to be a massive blow to the Lions’ Super Bowl aspirations. Elite offensive linemen are far and few between, and are primarily the reason for quarterbacks being able to play at a high level. It’s not hard to be good when you’ve got all the time in the world to make your reads, ya know?
But will Ragnow’s retirement have a tangible effect on the Lions in the upcoming Madden 26? If history is anything to go by, probably not. Or, at least, not as much as it should.
One of the common criticisms regarding the Madden franchise is that familiarity amongst linemen and football IQ don’t seem to play nearly enough of a role when it comes to blocking as they should. Even if the Lions can plug in a decent center in Ragnow’s absence, there will be some inevitable growing pains. In Madden, individual skill reigns supreme, and all other intangibles can kick rocks.
Granted, realism seems to be one of the main selling points of Madden 26, especially the weather. So maybe EA will finally figure out how offensive lines work and institute a few systems to express that. I’m not holding my breath on that one, though.
