The Detroit Lions built the best offensive line in the league with the goal of keeping immobile quarterback Jared Goff upright in the pocket. However, this unit suffered a near-cataclysmic loss on Monday afternoon when it was confirmed that star center Frank Ragnow is stepping away from the game.
After making four Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams in seven seasons, Ragnow officially retired on Monday. The Lions currently don't have a starting center, as they will likely try to piece something together from a group that includes veteran Graham Glasgow and rookie Tate Ratledge.
While the Lions' offense as a collective unit will suffer without Ragnow in the mix, no one will suffer more than Goff. The running game might take a tick down, but considering Goff's style of play and the downgrade from Ragnow to his possible replacements could have a destabilizing impact on this offense.
Lions QB Jared Goff will suffer the most from Frank Ragnow retirement
As NFL analyst Brett Kollmann notes, any injury to Glasgow would force the Lions to start a three-man interior unit that consists of players on rookie contracts. Goff is not the type of quarterback who is going to operate at peak efficiency with interior pressure up the middle.
Goff is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFC, but he is not overly fleet of foot. When the Los Angeles Rams suffered some offensive line injuries during Goff's final season with the team, he regressed to the point that LA was willing to get rid of him in the Matthew Stafford trade.
Not only will Goff deal with new offensive linemen and the loss of Ragnow, but he must also overcome an offense that lost play-caller Ben Johnson and replaced him with someone who hasn't called plays in almost a full decade in John Morton. That lack of continuity could be brutal for young players.
Goff has the accuracy and arm talent to get the Lions back to the playoffs, but there are some questions as to if he can provide enough consistency without a Ragnow-led elite interior to replicate a 15-2 campaign in 2025.
