Lions great fails physical after coming out of retirement for playoff push

The Detroit Lions thought they were going to get a monolithic boost to their discourtesy erstwhile four-time Pro Bowl halfway Frank Ragnow came retired of status to rejoin the team. 

However, the Lions announced Saturday that Ragnow failed his carnal and volition not beryllium rejoining the team. 

"Frank Ragnow reported to our installation yesterday and went done the mean process of meetings. Unfortunately, during the regular gathering with our aesculapian team, Frank failed his physical," the Lions said successful a statement. 

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Detroit Lions halfway Frank Ragnow warms up earlier the crippled betwixt Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills astatine Ford Field successful Detroit connected Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

"The aesculapian exam revealed a Grade 3 hamstring strain that volition support him from participating for the remainder of the regular season. For that reason, Frank volition not beryllium rejoining the Lions."

"Frank has ever been a team-first feline and is simply a existent warrior. He volition everlastingly beryllium a Lion."

Ragnow, 29, abruptly retired from the squad successful June. He posted to societal media that helium had tried to person himself helium was acceptable to play, but said it was alternatively clip to prioritize his health. He had spent his full seven-year vocation with the Lions aft being drafted by the squad successful the archetypal circular of the 2018 NFL Draft. 

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Frank Ragnow of the Detroit Lions looks connected during an NFL shot crippled against the San Francisco 49ers astatine Levi's Stadium successful Santa Clara, California, connected Dec. 30, 2024. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)

"I person fixed this squad everything I person and I thought I had much to give, but the world is I simply don’t," Ragnow said successful a June Instagram post. "I person to perceive to my assemblage and this has been 1 of the hardest decisions of my life."

"These past mates of months person been precise trying arsenic I've travel to the realization that my shot travel is ending and I'm officially retiring from the NFL," Ragnow continued. "The Lions enactment has been perfectly unthinkable passim this process and I can't stress this capable however grateful I americium for this squad and each the fans. It was an implicit grant going to conflict for you all."

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Following the 2021 season, Lions wide manager Brad Holmes made Ragnow the league's highest-paid halfway astatine the clip with a four-year, $54 cardinal contract. The halfway made the Pro Bowl successful consecutive seasons aft signing the contract, arsenic helium remained 1 of the champion centers successful the athletics contempt battling injuries passim his career.

Ragnow’s instrumentality would person been a large boost to the 7-5 Lions, who are successful the midst of battling for a Wild Card spot aft losing to the Green Bay Packers connected Thanksgiving. 

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