Detroit Lions Cautioned on the Impact of Key Player’s Retirement

The Detroit Lions would love to finally see their franchise make it to the Super Bowl for the first time in the history of the Lions team. But, is it a pipe dream? Let’s hope not.

The Lions are no longer the laughing stock of the NFL and are now serious contenders, year in and year out. But, this year will mark their first without offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, so it will certainly test Dan Campbell and company.

Now, heading into the 2025 season, one NFL expert is looking at what the Detroit Lions have going for them this year and what they lack.

Detroit Lions Cautioned on ‘Brain Drain’

In a feature for Bleacher Report published on June 16, Alex Ballentine lays out the best- and worst-case case scenarios for each team in the NFL heading into the new season. In the story, he notes that “it’s an offensive league and every front office goes into the offseason with a vision for how it will improve the unit for the next season.” He adds to “just look at how much money and resources teams are willing to pour into finding a quarterback, building an offensive line and retaining a star receiver.”

Of course, these are just projections, so take them for what they are, some fun predictions and observations. But, it’s also a helpful tool to brace for some possibilities in the season.

So, what’s the absolute worst-case scenario for the Detroit Lions? Let’s hope we never have to see it come to fruition.

In the piece, Ballentine says that “brain drain” and Frank Ragnow’s retirement could “cause regression.” We know that losing Ragnow will hurt, but how much?

“In most cases, the three most important people involved in scheming an offense are the play-caller, quarterback and center,” Ballentine states. “The pivot is an overlooked position, but the communication between the snapper and the QB is crucial to sorting out protections and making adjustments at the line.”

He adds that “Detroit will be working with a new play-caller and center this season, leaving space for some regression. Graham Glasgow, Christian Mahogany and second-round pick Tate Ratledge have all reportedly taken snaps at center.”

So, in the end, Detroit “will have to trust their ability to draft and develop, but there’s definitely a version of this experiment that doesn’t work out and takes the team from elite to just above average.” That would be a total shame. We’ve come too far to only be “just about average.”

Not All Doom and Gloom for the Lions

On the contrary, the best-case scenario is that the core of the team “doesn’t skip a beat.” That would be lovely.

“The major players for a Lions offense that has been a top-five unit in each of the last three seasons are all back,” Ballentine smartly notes in the feature. “Jared Goff will still have Amon-Ra St. Brown as the focal point of the passing game, and the duo of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs will still challenge defensive fronts.”