Amid the controversy around Frank Ragnow being asked to return a portion of his bonus back to the Detroit Lions, Pat McAfee did not hold back on the controversial demand by the franchise.

For starters, The Pat McAfee Show displayed a hilarious graphic of Ragnow, Calvin Johnson, and Barry Sanders, still in the Detroit uniform, offering bundles of cash to a man in a suit. They are now the known players from whom the franchise has asked part of their signing bonuses back, a practice that is rarely seen in the NFL. McAfee also took a dig at this controversial attitude.

"You're going to have to give us your money back, even though you certainly outplayed your contract and we are, I guess,  not grateful," he said, summarizing the Lions' actions

“Just the fact that the Lions are seemingly still up to their old tricks... How normal is this?" McAfee raised the question on his show, "It's not normal, right? Especially with stars."

Frank Ragnow had been with the Lions for the entirety of his pro career, which began in 2018. Ragnow signed a $54 million four-year contract extension in 2021, which made him the highest-paid NFL center at that time. However, he was plagued with injuries and played through his last years with pain.

But due to severe injuries like a broken throat and prolonged issues with his toe, he decided to take an early retirement during the healing period in 2025. He even tried to come back in November last year, but failed to pass physical testing because of an injury.

But since he had two years left on his contract, the Lions are asking for part of the $3 million prorated signing bonus he still had with him. That seems to ignore everything Ragnow has done for the Lions through all these years, which was also highlighted by McAfee.

“It does feel weird, the way you guys treat your players, honestly,” Pat McAfee said.

The Lions, however, think they are right in asking Ragnow to return that money.

What the Detroit Lions’ Side of the Frank Ragnow Situation Looks Like Beyond Pat McAfee’s Take

According to team President Rod Wood, if the player is not completing his contract, it means that he is not committing to his part of the deal. Therefore, the rest of the money must be returned to the organization. 

“It’s the Lions’ money,” Wood said. “It’s not the player’s money.”

“Our precedent goes all the way back to Barry Sanders. And if Barry Sanders paid back the money,” said Rod Wood. “And I think the reality is, they're not paying back their money, they're returning our money. Cause they were paid in advance for services that they hadn't completed,” Wood added. 

What Wood did not add is that Johnson and Sanders, both legends in the franchise, were not happy with the demand. Sanders paid $7 million, while Johnson had to give back $1.6 million. Their relationship with the team remained strained for a long time after the money was returned. And it is exactly for this reason that other NFL teams prefer not to take this road when it comes to parting with veterans.

McAfee himself gave the example of Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay allowing former quarterback Andrew Luck to keep all of his prorated signing bonus. The amount was a whopping $24.8 million, and Luck retired only 13 days before the season started. It truly is confusing why Detroit would resort to such a disappointing custom.

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Written by

Kunwar Yashaswee Chhaunker

Edited by

Afreen Kabir