4-Time Pro Bowler Frank Ragnow had fallout with the Detroit Lions, which might not bode well with the franchise in the long term.

Now Colton Pouncy of the New York Times has raised a few concerns regarding the matter. 

“While you can understand it from a team perspective, the Lions aren’t likely to win the battle of public opinion here,” Pouncy wrote. “Wood and the Lions seem comfortable taking the optics hit, as they’ve shown in the past.”

The Lions president, Rod Wood, and the Lions management are getting heavy backlash for asking Ragnow to repay part of his signing bonus after retiring in 2025. He signed a 4-year, $54 million extension in 2021, with a $6 million signing bonus.

Last summer, Ragnow voluntarily retired after enduring a broken throat, chronic toe issues, and back problems; though he attempted an NFL comeback, a grade 3 hamstring strain prevented him from passing physicals, ultimately ending his career.

Wood confirmed to the Detroit Free Press that the team has sought a portion of Ragnow’s signing bonus proration, due to his early retirement and not keeping his part of the contract. 

"I don’t really have much more to say than I’ve said already said,” Wood said. "And if I worried about optics, you know, it wouldn’t do a lot of things. But I’m very comfortable with where we are."

It is not the first time that the Lions have done this. They have asked Hall of Fame Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson to return a share of their signing bonuses as compensation for them leaving the Lions mid-way through their contracts. 

This did strain their relationships with the Hall of Famers. Eventually, things got smoother, but it has painted a question mark on their reputation among the fans and other athletes.

Frank Ragnow Draws League-Wide Reactions on Ongoing Controversy

Colton Pouncy is not the only one who raised his concerns on the matter. It started with former Lions safety Quandre Diggs. 

“Love the Lions, but with seeing how other franchises have handled these situations, It may be time to change how you’ve done things in the past," he said.

Adding to his sentiments, former linebacker Alex Anzalone did not hold back and made a firm stand for Ragnow.

“(Ragnow) played through a fractured throat, (played) one week post-meniscus clean-up w/stitches barely out, inoperable/unrepairable toe, etc,” Anzalone said. “‘Hey, let me get that prorated signing bonus back.’ Do business as business is being done."

Former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce poured his heart out in support of Ragnow.

“While I get that the team has a right to ask for money back, in the spirit of the agreement, I think it’s b******* Frank is being asked to return money,” Kelce said.

The Lions may get the money and may utilize it for the 2026 NFL drafts, but they aren’t winning the fans' opinion this time. 

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Written by

Kunwar Yashaswee Chhaunker

Edited by

Kalp Thaker