Alex Anzalone will be donning the Tampa Bay Buccaneers jersey this season, but his heart still aches for a former Detroit Lions teammate. It came in the light of the Lions' forcing retired center Frank Ragnow to repay his bonus. Anzalone opened up about his frustration.

In an interview with NFL insider Jordan Shultz, the linebacker shared how he believes that Ragnow could have handled the situation differently financially.

“Frank could have took advantage of his situation financially a lot more,” Anzalone said. “I just feel like, and they know that, and it just went a different direction, and that's kind of from a player perspective and a former teammate.”

According to Spotrac, Ragnow’s 2021 extension included a roughly $6 million signing bonus that was prorated over several seasons. Upon his retirement, $3 million was the remaining proration amount.

Even though Anzalone's former teammate was paid his signing bonus immediately, it counted against the cap in installments from 2023 to 2026. After retiring before the final two seasons, the Detroit Lions moved to recover part of the remaining $3 million tied to those unplayed years.

According to Over the Cap, by retiring on June 2nd,  he could’ve helped the Lions by allowing them to spread his “dead money” over two years  (1.5M in 2025 and $1.5M in 2026). 

But what makes Anzalone regret Ragnow's move?

Under the provisions of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), instead of just seeking an early retirement, he could have proven his inability to play medically and used it to arbitrate to challenge the forfeiture.

Ragnow was one of the best centers in the league, who played in 96 of a possible 119 regular-season games. Players in that position often negotiate a more guaranteed salary. That would have closed Detroit's door to recover the amount.

Alex Anzalone Perspective Gains Support as Other Players Show Outburst on Ragnow's situation

Anzalone had already set the tone earlier, pointing to what players go through physically.

“Played through fractured throat, one week post meniscus cleanup w/ stitches barely out, inoperable/unrepairable toe, etc.. 'Hey let me get that prorated signing bonus back,’” he wrote on X. “Do business as business is being done.”

Former Lions wide receiver Herman Moore took a broader view, focusing on how these situations impact trust.

“The business side is the business side. When money is asked back, that can be talked through and worked out,” Moore wrote. “When that spills into the public space, it creates division, ...They remember it when it’s time for their own negotiation...”

Not just the Lions, but also former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce stood beside Anzalone. He, too, highlighted how Ragnow’s body was worn down from years of playing football. In that way, it said it was unfair for Detroit to make a player pay money back when he retired due to the physical damage.

What do you think of Detroit's decision about Frank Ragnow? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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Written by

Kunwar Yashaswee Chhaunker

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar