Lions All-Pro and Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow said he's the healthiest he's ever been following a season when he spoke to reporters the day after Detroit's exit from the playoffs a couple weeks back.
A truly great sign of that is his participation in the Pro Bowl Games in Orlando this weekend.
Last year, after dealing with an assortment of ailments including toe, knee, calf and back injuries, Ragnow was contemplating his football future after Detroit's playoff exit vs. the San Francisco 49ers and he didn't take part in the Pro Bowl festivities so he could rest his body.
"Comparatively, healthier than I've ever been," he said the day after the loss to Washington in the Divisional Round. "So, that's a blessing."
Ragnow missed just one game this season, Week 4 vs. Seattle, with a partially torn pectoral injury. He played in all of Detroit's 17 other contests, including the playoffs, allowing just 2.0 sacks and finishing as Pro Football Focus' third highest graded center overall and No. 2 as a run blocker.
While Ragnow declined to speak directly about his future when asked, he definitely seemed to be in a better place following this season vs. last year after the loss in the NFC Championship game when it was obvious the injuries were weighing on him.
Ragnow's toughness can never be questioned. He played a game with a fractured throat in 2020, and only missed two games following that diagnosis. A partially torn pectoral muscle only cost him one game this season.
He'll continue to deal with a non-repairable toe injury for the remainder of his career, but he's been able to manage that for a few years now. At 28 years old, Ragnow has two years remaining on his contract and is one of the core pieces upfront for the Lions.
Ragnow was a first-round pick by the Lions in 2018 and has been through it all with Detroit. He's one of the big reasons why Detroit's offensive line is one of the best units in the NFL and why the Lions have become one of the NFC's best teams over the last two years.
Like everyone else cleaning out their locker after the loss to the Commanders, Ragnow lamented the early exit from the playoffs but said it should be fuel for everyone in that locker room to come back even stronger in 2025.
"Just channel it and try to use it whether it's anger, sadness, whatever it is," he said. "Try and use that as motivation into the offseason. Just never forgetting that feeling of watching them celebrate across the field and listening to them in the locker room. Just never forgetting that."
The Lions have four of their starting five offensive linemen under contract next season with only right guard Kevin Zeitler, 34, set to become an unrestricted free agent when the new league year starts in March. Zeitler is arguably Detroit's top free agent to be, along with cornerback Carlton Davis III, and general manager Brad Holmes will have a decision to make there. Rookie guard Christian Mahogany looked good in a couple spot starts this season and could be ready for a bigger role next season.
"Every year, every team faces it and we'll see what happens," Ragnow said of the inevitable change every NFL locker room faces year over year. "This league, that's the one thing that sucks is it's never going to be the same team. We know that as players."
But as Ragnow surveyed the room, he saw a lot of young talent that gives him a lot of hope this Lions team can have sustained success for years to come and potentially get over the hump and get to a Super Bowl.
"There's so many talented dudes in this room," he said. "Not only talented, but the right mindset. The right wired guys that are willing to do whatever it takes for their teammates and put it on the line and again I'm so grateful to be part of this locker room because there are a lot of special, special dudes."
