It's been over a year since Frank Ragnow's shock retirement, and now he's finally opened up on the decision as well as his attempt at coming back.

Speaking at his fourth annual Skeet Shoot Showdown charity event on June 12, benefiting the Rags Remembered Foundation, Ragnow offered a candid look at the physical and emotional battle that ultimately ended his career.

“To shoot it to you straight, I was just trying to will myself to play. I was, and my body was telling me otherwise.  I was just like in paralysis, if you will.”

The four-time Pro Bowler revealed that he spent months trying to convince himself that he could continue despite the physical toll that football had taken on his body.

“I did not plan on retiring in the middle of the summer, believe it or not,” Ragnow explained. “I was trying to get like, ‘You can do it for the guys, the fans. It’s who you are.’ But it’s just like I was uncomfortable.”

Despite the decision, Ragnow had tried making a return and already had conversations with personnel within the Lions organization. However, just days before his scheduled physical, disaster struck.

Ragnow suffered a Grade 3 hamstring injury that immediately derailed any hopes of returning to the field. However, he has come to terms with the situation.

“Everything happens for a reason, and I am where I am now. I’m in a great place, the team’s in a good place, and I’m excited for next season,” he said.

Ragnow also revealed how, after retiring, he felt like he might have been the reason for the Lions' disappointing season.

Ragnow Felt 'Guilty' For Lions' 2025 Season

The former 2018 first-round pick admitted that he initially avoided watching Lions games after retiring due to his connection with the organization and fans.

When he eventually started watching the games, he explained how the emotions only intensified.

“I tried to avoid games, tried to distract myself from it. Then I started watching games, and I felt guilt,” Ragnow said during the same event. “Like Jared getting hit, that’s my guy. Those are my guys, and they’re struggling.”

Ragnow played 7 seasons in the NFL with the Detroit Lions, appearing in 96 games and starting all of them. Ragnow, along with 4 Pro Bowl appearances, was also selected to the Second Team All-Pro three times. He allowed just 4 sacks on 2,544 pass-blocking snaps in his final 5 seasons and had the best run-blocking grade of 91.3 during the 2023 season.

Do you think it was the right decision for him to retire?

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Written by

Dhruv Vishnu Nair

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi