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DETROIT, MICHIGAN - SEPTEMBER 15: Frank Ragnow #77 of the Detroit Lions looks on prior to a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Ford Field on September 15, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
(FOX 2) - Frank Ragnow, the Detroit Lions starting center, is retiring from football.
The 29-year-old announced the decision on his Instagram Monday, saying it had taken a couple of months before coming to the realization.
Ragnow Retires
Big picture view:
Posting on his social media on Monday, the Lions starting center said he wrestled with the decision during the offseason.
"I've tried to convince myself that I'm feeling good but I'm not and it's time to prioritize my health and families future," he posted. "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," he continued. "It was an absolute honor going to battle for you all."
Local perspective:
Ragnow was picked by the Lions in the first round of the 2018 draft, spending his entire NFL career with Detroit.
After standing out in the football-heavy SEC during his college career in different positions at Arkansas University, he was that year's 20th pick.
He was picked to the Pro Bowl four times, first in 2020 and then during a three-year span 2022-2024 leading up to his retirement. The standout center was part of the Lions before the franchise's resurgence under Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell.
He signed a four-year contract of $54 million in 2021, making him the highest-paid center at the time.
The Source: An Instagram social media post from Frank Ragnow and previous reporting was used for this story.
Detroit Lions