The Detroit Lions now have a massive hole to fill on their offensive line after the unexpected retirement of center Frank Ragnow, and the team appears to have two early front-runners for the job.
Ragnow announced his plan to retire from the NFL in a post on Instagram, with the four-time Pro Bowler and three-time second-team All-Pro revealing that his body just isn't equipped to handle the rigors of the NFL anymore.
"I’ve tried to convince myself that I’m feeling good but I’m not and it’s time to prioritize my health," Ragnow admitted.
This, of course, leaves the Lions in a tough spot. Filling the shoes of one of the best offensive linemen in franchise history will be no small task.
On that front, it appears the Lions have two early front-runners for the job: veteran Graham Glasgow and rookie Tate Ratledge.
According to reports from OTAs, the two linemen were splitting work between one guard spot and center with the first-team offense at practice. Both players have center experience.
"It's different from guard, of course," the rookie said earlier this month. "I'm glad I've had prior experience playing center so it's nothing brand new to me. Coming back out there getting the feel for it."
Glasgow has played over 2,600 snaps at center during his career, including 241 over two seasons with the Lions.
He hasn't played a significant number of snaps at the position since he was with the Denver Broncos in 2022, when he played 609. Glasgow's highest snap count at center came in 2018, when he saw 1,074 plays there in his first stint in Detroit.
With center being arguably the hardest position along the offensive line to play, we would suspect the Lions will opt to go with experience, which Glasgow clearly offers more of.
However, the two will likely continue to compete, with the loser probably settling in at one of the starting guard spots.