DETROIT -- Four-time Pro-Bowl center Frank Ragnow is coming out of retirement and returning to the Lions, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
He has decided to unretire and return to the Lions because he "loves the game," one source told Schefter.
Wednesday was the deadline for Ragnow to come out of retirement and be eligible to play this season, sources added. If a player is on a club's reserve-retired list, he must be reinstated prior to that team's Week 13 game. Detroit hosts NFC North division rival Green Bay on Thursday in its annual Thanksgiving Day appearance.
Ragnow's first chance to play for the Lions will come next Thursday against the Dallas Cowboys, though a return that quickly is considered unlikely for now, a source said. That makes Detroit's following game on Dec. 14 against the Rams in Los Angeles a likely return date.
The Lions still hold Frank Ragnow's contractual rights for two seasons -- this year and next. When Ragnow returns to Detroit this week, his contract will be reinstated.
Ragnow announced his retirement in June after seven NFL seasons.
Ragnow, 29, battled through multiple injuries throughout his career.
In 2021, following a season in which he played with a fractured throat, general manager Brad Holmes and coach Dan Campbell made him the league's highest-paid center at the time with a $54 million, four-year extension.
In 2024, he played 16 games last season, missing only the team's Week 4 game vs. Seattle with a partially torn pectoral muscle. He didn't miss a start afterward and was named to the Pro Bowl for the third consecutive season. Without Ragnow, veteran lineman Graham Glasgow filled the center role as the Lions are off to a 7-4 start this season.
