Lions' Three-Time All-Pro Unexpectedly Announces Retirement at Just 29 Years Old

Now, they have another question they need to answer along the line before the solution to their need at guard has become clear.

On June 2, center Frank Ragnow announced that he would be retiring.

The move comes as a major surprise as Ragnow just turned 29 last month and is coming off of a season where he earned second-team All-Pro honors.

He was one of two veterans who had been absent from OTAs, but it was believed his absence was due to his desire for a new contract.

Replacing him is going to be very difficult. Ragnow has been one of the best centers in the NFL — earning second-team All-Pro honors in 2020, 2023 and 2024 — and the timing doesn't give them much opportunity to find options.

There has been talk of Tate Ratledge playing center since the Lions drafted him, but that would be asking a lot of a rookie who played a different position in college, and it would also remove one of the team's guard options.

The free agent market is extremely thin at the position at this point in the offseason.

Ragnow had a great career for the Lions and had a big impact during the franchise's turnaround, but now the team is faced with a tall task as it attempts to remain in title contention.