Jason Kelce recently stood up for another former center, Frank Ragnow. The Detroit Lions offensive lineman announced his retirement, and the franchise made him pay back some of his signing bonus for doing so. The Philadelphia Eagles legend made his feelings on the situation clear.
Jason Kelce Defends Frank Ragnow After Controversial Lions Decision
Ragnow did not complete the duration of his contract with the Lions before retiring, so the franchise exercised its right to recover part of the signing bonus he received. Kelce took issue with the decision, pointing out that Ragnow retired due to injuries.
“It feels like it’s obvious that Frank retired because he was physically fighting through injuries and pain, and it got to a point that he no longer could play the game in an enjoyable, effective, or healthy way. The whole purpose of a signing bonus is to be a guarantee up front that insures a salary irregardless of performance metrics, or most importantly injuries, that could compromise your career,” said Kelce.
Kelce also mentioned that if a player cannot receive medical clearance to keep playing, the franchise would not have been permitted to pursue a refund. While this technically was not the case with Ragnow, he apparently made the medical decision on his own terms rather than through the team doctors.
“If a player truly just retires without reason, or because they’ve lost the desire to play, I completely get and acknowledge teams should be able to recoup compensation when players don’t fulfill there contractual obligations and agreements.
“However, Frank was known for being hurt and playing through injuries most players wouldn’t play through constantly,” added Kelce.
This is interesting. It feels like it’s obvious that Frank retired because he was physically fighting through injuries and pain, and it got to a point that he no longer could play the game in an enjoyable, effective, or healthy way.
The whole purpose of a signing bonus is to… https://t.co/pvjgvLrsA0— Jason Kelce (@JasonKelce) March 31, 2026
While he did not necessarily suffer a career-ending injury, the accumulation of several serious injuries allegedly caused him to retire. The Lions could have respected this decision but instead chose to penalize him.
BE AN NFL GM: PFSN’s Ultimate GM Simulator
“His body clearly had deteriorated to a degree that made football no longer a viable option, physically, and probably mentally. In my opinion, the signing bonus is supposed to protect players from future physical ailments limiting their availability on the field, that’s one of the reasons you want more guaranteed money upfront,” explained Kelce.
The Lions used a similar approach when Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson retired early. The precedent has already been set, and the team is within its rights to do so.
“While I get that the team has a right to ask for money back, in the spirit of the agreement, I think it’s bulls**t Frank is being asked to return money. This was clearly a player that the game had physically taken its toll on, and his body was clearly no longer holding up to the rigors of the NFL. It wasn’t just some player deciding he didn’t want to play anymore,” concluded Kelce.
Ragnow consistently performed as one of the best centers in the NFL when healthy, including finishing among the top five offensive linemen in PFSN’s Impact Rankings in five of the past seven seasons. His health unfortunately shortened his career and, in the end, cost him a portion of his contract in Detroit.
