The Detroit Lions' offensive line was one of the best in the NFL when Frank Ragnow, their then-starting center, was playing. Without their anchor in Ragnow, things were dicey. Sure, they have talent like Penei Sewell holding things down at tackle, but Ragnow was their captain on the line for all intents and purposes. Losing him to retirement is a huge blow.
Re-creating his impact is next to impossible at this stage of the offseason, as well. The Lions have a ton of cap space - over $40 million, per Over The Cap. But, the pickings are slim for free agent centers right now. Relying on rookie Tate Ratledge seems like the way the team is leaning right now if his reps at the position in OTAs reveal anything.
So, after an offseason full of optimism for the Lions related to their offense more or less running things back, there's a huge hole present on Detroit's offensive line that leaves them with a ridiculously young O-line set to face the NFL in just a few months - and that's scary.
Analyst warns of Lions offensive line woes after Ragnow retirement
NFL analyst Brett Kollmann shared his quick thoughts on Ragnow's retirement announcement, and they'll immediately make you nervous for what's to come for Detroit this season.
They are one Graham Glasgow injury away from having the youngest G-C-G trio in the league, *and* they have a new play caller.
— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) June 2, 2025
I don't like predicting great teams to take a step back but man...those are tough hurdles to overcome.
Kollmann isn't wrong for feeling like the Lions are playing with a bit of fire as it pertains to their offensive line right now. As he mentions, their age and the potential of Glasgow also getting hurt down the line of the Lions' season should be making Detroit nervous for how their offense will look now, especially with a pocket passer in Jared Goff and elite running backs that need space to take off.
READ MORE: Lions' Frank Ragnow reveals the heartbreaking reason for shocking retirement
However, ESPN NFL analyst Mina Kimes, who Kollman was responding to with this analysis, noted that she feels the Lions being healthy on defense in 2025 can "mitigate" a lot of the potential issues created by this retirement. Detroit was hit hard by the injury bug in 2024, and arguably lost a ton of their postseason momentum as a result.
Ragnow, an All Pro and Pro Bowler, announced his retirement on his social media on Monday. He insinuated that health had a big part in why he was stepping away from the game at just 29 years old.