What's next for the Detroit Lions after the Frank Ragnow setback?

Reinforcements for the Detroit Lions' offensive line won't be coming in the form of retired center Frank Ragnow.

The poor play of the Lions' offense and the team's 7-4 record at the time inspired the potential mid-season comeback for the former All-Pro center who'd just retired before the start of the 2025 season. Ragnow reported to the facility in preparation to get back in the mix after the team's loss to the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving, but failed a physical that ruled out his potential return.

The team released a statement saying Ragnow had a Grade 3 hamstring strain that would keep him out this season.

The return of an often-injured, 29-year-old center wasn't going to instantly turn the 2025 Lions back into their 2023-2024 form, but some consistency at the position would've been a step in the right direction for a team that is staring down an uphill battle to make the playoffs after a 15-2 season a year ago. The Lions are now 7-5 and sitting in third in the NFC North without a tiebreaker over the Packers and a game against the red-hot Chicago Bears looming in Week 18.

Ragnow's return to retirement means several things for the Lions going forward, the most daunting of which is that there's no help on the way.

It's Glasgow and Colon the rest of the way

Graham Glasgow missed Thursday's game against the Packers, giving Trystan Colon his 17th start in his sixth NFL season. Glasgow had been trying to play through a knee injury that had finally become enough to keep him off the field.

Glasgow has been a liability since moving to center this season, combined with the inconsistency next to him on the interior of the offensive line. His injury, giving way to Colon, only furthered those struggles, with Colon allowing multiple pressures on Jared Goff, who was sacked three times on the day.

The Lions have the 23rd-ranked pass blocking offense in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus, which doesn't seem as bad as it sounds, given the 9-3 Los Angeles Rams are sitting at 27th, but the difference lies in the kind of pressure Goff is facing and what that influences him to do vs. some of the more versatile quarterbacks in the league.

Finding their next center

The long-term plan for the Lions has reportedly been to move rookie guard Tate Ratledge to center, but they've shown no signs of trying to make that transition mid-season. Glasgow is in the second year of a three-year extension signed in 2024 but it would be surprising to see the Lions keep him around next year after a clear decline in performance since signing that extension.

The Lions will have several holes to fill after this season, with their cap room continuing to shrink with imminent extensions coming for Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta, and Jack Campbell. Unfortunately, the free agent market on centers isn't going to be cheap for top talent, and cheaper options will likely offer matching value.

The team is trending toward a mid-round draft position, but needs along the offensive line are new this season. Meanwhile, needs on defense at defensive end, and cornerback continue to plague the Lions game after game. However, the Lions managed two consecutive historic seasons for the franchise with holes on defense. They reached those heights on the back of the best offensive lines in football.

Reassessing priorities

The idea of Frank Ragnow coming back to save the Lions this season was going to be the storyline for the next week, but his sudden absence deflated those hopes quickly.

The team is left to regroup with the same group that's led them to their 7-5 record with the third-toughest remaining schedule in the NFL. An injury to Amon-Ra St. Brown on Thursday was the latest key injury for them to overcome, as the defense is still awaiting the return of safety Kerby Joseph.

Head coach Dan Campbell will have to rally his troops and reassess what their operation will look like going forward. The team's priority is certainly to stay alive in the playoff hunt, but they're also at a point where they'll need to stop waiting for returning players to save them.

This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: What's next for the Lions after the Frank Ragnow setback?