The Detroit Lions have a massive hole to fill at the center position with the retirement of Frank Ragnow.
A four-time Pro Bowl and three-time second-team All-Pro selection, Ragnow departs after seven seasons. Citing injuries, Ragnow explained that he doesn’t feel like he has any more to give during a post confirming his retirement on social media.
The Lions have been evaluating other options at center throughout the offseason, as Ragnow has not been present throughout the voluntary workout program. In his absence, the Lions have been working with second-round draft pick Tate Ratledge and veteran Graham Glasgow at the position.
Now, it can be presumed that those two players will be the leaders to replace the veteran heading into the 2025 season.
There is a discrepancy in experience between the two players. Ratledge was exclusively a guard at Georgia, while Glasgow has experience playing the position after making a total of four starts at center in place of Ragnow over the last two seasons.
The Lions had been working Ratledge at the center position throughout rookie minicamp and organized team activities, with their intention being to cross-train him and fellow rookie Miles Frazier to promote versatility.
“He’s long, tall, big man. But, you love the versatility of the player. He can play multiple positions inside and the interior,” Lions assistant GM Ray Agnew said prior to rookie minicamp. “Like the toughness, love the way he plays the game, a guy who can get out in space – those guys who can get out in space and block for a guy like Jahmyr Gibbs and then he’s going to the house for a touchdown. You love those guys. So excited about Tate, man. Really, really excited about Tate.”
However, Ragnow’s retirement will likely accelerate the workload facing Ratledge throughout the rest of organized team activities and training camp.
Glasgow can provide a steady dose of experience and reliability for the short-term future, but is also coming off a 2024 season in which his performance declined. As a result, Ratledge could be the best current candidate to be the team’s center of the future.
Other options currently on the roster to step up and fill the void include Colby Sorsdal and Kingsley Eguakun. Sorsdal has played both guard and tackle, but took reps at center during the OTAs practice open to the media. Eguakun is a 2024 undrafted free agent who spent last year on the Lions’ practice squad.
Ultimately, the Lions will now have to replace two of their three starting interior offensive linemen from a season ago. This will be no easy task, as both Ragnow and right guard Kevin Zeitler were strong performers who helped anchor the team’s offensive line.
Fortunately for Detroit, there is a surplus of young depth. The team, in fact, has drafted a total of five offensive linemen over the last three years. Ratledge and Frazier are joining the fold this year, Christian Mahogany and Gio Manu were picked last year and Sorsdal was a 2023 fifth-round choice.
Given Detroit’s affinity for competition, it also wouldn’t be surprising to see the team bring in another option to compete for reps.
Mahogany started two games last season, including the divisional round playoff loss to Washington. He impressed in his limited opportunities, and was already expected to compete to replace Zeitler at guard. Now, he has an even bigger chance to play consistent reps in his second NFL season.
While the Lions will bring back both of their starting tackles in Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell, they now will have to revitalize the interior. In doing so, all eyes will be on the young players as the opportunity is available for recent draft picks to make a large impact.
> [Lions center Frank Ragnow announces retirement from NFL, citing injuries](https://www.macombdaily.com/2025/06/02/lions-center-frank-ragnow-announces-retirement-from-nfl-citing-injuries/)
#### Cap ramifications
Ragnow's current contract was believed to be the main reason for his absence from the voluntary workout program. He had no guaranteed salary over the final two years of his contract.
His retirement will have the same impact as a post-June 1 cut on the Lions' cap. Between signing and option bonuses, he has $8.4 million in guarantees over the next two seasons. This includes a $1.2 million signing bonus for this season.
This situation is similar to when Calvin Johnson announced an abrupt retirement, and the Lions' regime at the time caused a rift with the Hall of Fame wideout by getting that money back. It is unclear if the Lions plan to do so with Ragnow at this time with his signing bonus.
Ragnow's departure will grant the Lions $9.25 million in new cap space for 2025, with $9.15 million coming from his salary and another $100,000 coming from his workout bonus. The veteran was set to make $11.9 million in base salary in 2026, and had $850,000 in roster and workout bonuses within his contract that year.
The Lions will have the option to either take on all of the $8.4 million this year or spread it out over the next two. They will open up a total of $22 million in cap space over the next two years, with $9.25 million coming in 2025 and $12.75 million in 2026.
_This article was produced by the staff at Sports Illustrated/All Lions. For more, visit si.com/nfl/lions_