Lions make Frank Ragnow NFL's highest-paid center

Detroit Lions center Frank Ragnow earned the first Pro Bowl nod of his career for his play during the 2020 NFL regular season. 

Detroit rewarded him on Thursday. 

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter and NFL Network's Tom Pelissero (h/t Kevin Patra), the Lions signed Ragnow to a four-year contract extension that links him with the organization through 2026, is worth up to $54 million, and makes the 24-year-old the league's highest-paid center at an annual average value of $13.5 million. 

Detroit picked up the fifth-year option attached to his rookie contract late last month. 

Ragnow made headlines ahead of last Christmas when he famously fractured his throat during a game against the rival Green Bay Packers but continued playing. Somehow, he missed only two contests before he returned for the Week 17 season finale. 

Pro Football Focus ranked Ragnow the 88th best player of the 2020 campaign. "He earned an overall PFF grade of 80.3 and didn’t allow a sack all season," PFF's Sam Monson said of the center in February. "Overall, he was in pass protection for 609 snaps and surrendered only nine total pressures. Ragnow also had a PFF run-blocking grade above 80. If he takes another step forward again this offseason, 2021 could be special." 

Following the 2021 NFL Draft that finished last Saturday, Detroit general manager Brad Holmes called Ragnow "everything that we look for and what we want as a Lion" while adding he intended to sign the 2018 first-round pick to a long-term deal.