Lions Top 10 Injury News of 2025: #7 Frank Ragnow Hamstring
Could Ragnow return to save the Lions' season?
The surprise retirement of Pro-Bowl center Frank Ragnow in June of 2025 left behind a weakened offensive line. But then, like a burly phoenix rising from the ashes, Ragnow decided to come out of retirement in late November to save the Lions’ season.
Unretirement Announcement (November 26, 2025)
What happened next earns a spot at #7 on the Lions Top 10 Injury News of the 2025 season. I’ll also explain why it reminded me of this scene from the movie Contact…
The Injury - Hamstring strain (November 2025)
November 29, 2025: Just three days after announcing Ragnow’s return, the team released this statement:
A grade 3 hamstring is the most severe grade and involves a complete tear or avulsion. For this to be found on a “routine” physical was startling.
The curious statement and the whiplash of the retired-unretired-retired sequence understandably led to suspicion and conspiracy theories:
When did the hamstring injury actually occur?
How is it possible Ragnow didn’t know he had a season-ending hamstring?
Was the hamstring story a cover for something else?
Was there some kind of rift between Ragnow and the Lions?
Was money a factor in all this?
Was Ragnow actually lost in a jungle hunting expedition?
Frank Ragnow speaks on retirement comeback
June 2026: Ragnow confirmed his existence and finally spoke on what transpired (video via @colton_pouncy on X).
His key quotes:
I was staying in good shape.
I got hurt a day or two before I got there.
Ragnow’s explanation for his hamstring injury aligns with Occam’s razor, which posits that the simplest explanation is usually the correct one. The simplest explanation for Ragnow’s curious re-retirement is that he tore his hamstring right before reporting to the Lions. Maybe that is exactly what happened… or maybe we’ll find out more to the story in the future.
Regardless of the reason, the failed comeback of Ragnow meant there was no savior for the Lions’ season. The team went on to lose 3 of the final 5 games and miss the playoffs.
If you missed #8 on the Lions Top 10 Injury News of 2025…
Lions Top 10 Injury News of 2025: #8 DJ Reed Hamstring
DJ Reed was the crown jewel signing of the Lions 2025 free agency having agreed to a 3-year $48 million deal with $32 million guaranteed. He was the direct #1 CB replacement for Carlton Davis who left in free agency.