In their Week-6 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, Lions’ Frank Ragnow reached the frontside nose on the outside zone and got enough out of him to make a huge opening for Jahmyr Gibbs. No help. No push to the backfield. Result? Gibbs carried it to the house for a long TD run in their 31-29 road win. The more surprising part was Ragnow returning from a partially torn pectoral muscle he suffered just three weeks before. One he shrugged off with, “Good enough, baby.” His hallmark was his ability to will his body when it so often betrayed him. And he did it not once or twice, but every time. 

He avoided his recurring toe injury to the point that even surgery could not help him. Back in the late 2023 season, the Lions were on the cusp of their first division title in 30 years. Ragnow’s first possible playoff appearance in six years with the team. But against the New Orleans Saints, he injured his knee. While he downplayed it all, it finally required a meniscus surgery that December. Afraid to let his teammates down, the center returned to the turf, missing only one game. Even HC Dan Campell accepted, “That’s how Frank is…That’s why guys respect the hell out of him.”

The Minnesotan, who mentioned how being “an offensive lineman, you don’t get much of the glory,” in his introductory presser back in 2018, entered a team where the losing culture preceded him. But he extended his role to become the coach on the field– anticipating blitzes, helping his QBs. All the while, only allowing six sacks in seven seasons and rising as one of the most elite centers of the game. Still, after seven seasons of wear and tear, he decided, “I’ve tried to convince myself that I’m feeling good but I’m not and it’s time to prioritize my health and my family’s future.”

Just like Brad Holmes making him the league’s highest-paid center in 2021 with a $54M/ 4-year extension, the words coming out of Detroit have proven they remember the ones who give it all to their team. As Dan Campbell now looks for another face in his O-line to replace Ragnow, who better to explain the void the Center left than Lions legend Calvin “Megatron” Johnson. 

In today’s Up & Adams Show, host, Kay, framed her question perfectly. “Speaking of Detroit icons like yourself and Jared Goff, Frank Ragnow retirement was sort of stunning, came and went. I feel like the news—such an incredible stint, seven seasons in the NFL. Where does he leave a bigger void? Do you think it’s on the O-line or just sort of as the leader and what he meant soul-wise to that team?”

Johnson resonated with the gravitas of a man who’s seen battles won and bodies broken and said, “Fortunately, you know, there’s some guys—veterans in that room—but definitely his level of experience, the level of play that he brought to this team, is going to be missed. But you’ve got to respect his decision to take care of his body. It’s a brutal sport—you’re banging heads with other 300-lb men for 60 plays in the game. So, much respect to him for what he’s done—the great career, the great things he’s done in helping Detroit in its revitalization here. But it’s gonna hurt. But I don’t think that, you know, just like we stepped up to the plate last year on defense after guys went down, it’s a next-man-up mentality here in Detroit.”

Ragnow wasn’t just snapping the ball. He was the keystone of the league’s most explosive offense last season, a four-time Pro Bowler whose PFF run-blocking grade (90.8 in ’24) was pure artistry. He was the quiet general making protection calls, the immovable object playing through a fused toe and fractured throat—embodying Dan Campbell’s ‘knee-cap biting’ ethos long before it was a slogan. In 96 games and the same number of starts spanning seven seasons, the Lion only had 2 fumbles while adding 3 solo tackles. But his presence in the locker room was much bigger. His departure is a seismic shift that Campbell now needs to take care of.

The next man up mentality: Dan Campbell’s blueprint

The raw truth in Detroit now is that Ragnow has left. Yet, true to the Lions’ DNA forged in hardship and honed in last year’s NFC Championship run, Campbell can pivot to the creed that defines this era: “The next-man-up mentality.” It’s the same resilience that saw the Lions weather injuries en route to a franchise-best 15-2 record and 564 points scored in 2024.

So, who steps into the breach? The immediate answer wears familiar #60. Graham Glasgow, the versatile vet who’s played everywhere inside, brings stability and experience. He’s the known quantity, the steady hand. Tate Ratledge, drafted in the second round, is the project with the pedigree, learning the ropes. It’s plug-and-play with a long-term vision—a delicate dance for an O-line that powered Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery to historic backfield heights.

Adams circled back, asking, “How are you feeling about the Lions?” CJ’s answer revealed cautious optimism, focusing on continuity. He quipped, “Everybody asks me that, and it’s easy for me now. We’ve got Johnny Moore and we’ve got Shepard. These are guys that are familiar. Shep’s been here for—probably ever since Dan’s been here. Johnny Mo was here last year. He’s seen the team, knows the talent we have on offense. And he’s been around the offense that Ben was calling.”

The Lions faced nearly two dozen injuries. Yet, even after frequently turning to their backups — particularly on defense — they sustained a high level of play. They finished with the NFC North’s best record at 15-2.

He sees the institutional knowledge retained in coaches like Hank Fraley (OL) and Antwaan Randle El (WRs), alongside OC Tanner Engstrand’s promotion, as vital. “Not that it’s going to be the same thing. But he knows the players and how to get the ball into their hands. So I’m not as concerned as I was when it happened at the end of the season last year.”

Filling the Ragnow void is less about finding a single superstar and more about collective recalibration. It’s about Glasgow’s grit, Ratledge’s potential, and the entire unit elevating.

It’s a challenge that demands more than just physicality. It demands the soul Ragnow poured into every snap. As Megatron’s message implies, weathering such storms built Dan Campbell and Detroit’s resurgence. The next chapter hinges on proving that the foundation is strong enough to hold. Even when its sturdiest pillar moves on. The playbook is written in resilience. Now, the Lions must execute.