Like Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson, Frank Ragnow reportedly forced to repay part of signing bonus to Lions

When longtime Detroit Lions center Frank Ragnow retired last June with two years left on his contract , the franchise made the four-time Pro Bowler pay back part of his signing bonus, according to the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett , who also reported Tuesday that the Lions previously forced Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson to make similar repayments. In an interview with the Free Press at the NFL’s annual meeting, Lions president Rod Wood didn’t reveal exactly how much Ragnow had to return, but Wood reportedly confirmed that the franchise pursued “a portion” of his signing bonus proration. Following a slew of injuries, including a fractured throat, Ragnow walked away from the game at 29 years old.

While he attempted a midseason comeback to help a Detroit offensive line that was struggling on the interior, he failed his physical that notably uncovered a Grade 3 hamstring strain . “Our precedent goes all the way back to Barry Sanders,” Wood told the Free Press on March 29. “And if Barry Sanders paid back money.

… And I think the reality is, they’re not paying back their money, they’re returning our money. Cause they were paid in advance for services that they hadn’t completed. ” Frank Ragnow played seven seasons with the Detroit Lions, who selected him in the first round of the 2018 draft.

(Photo by Brooke Sutton/Getty Images) Brooke Sutton via Getty Images In the spring of 2021, Ragnow signed a four-year extension reportedly worth $54 million that made him the highest-paid center in the NFL at the time . The 2018 first-round pick out of Arkansas still had two years left on his rookie deal, so the extension kicked in during the 2023 season and was set to run through 2026. That lucrative extension, per the Free Press, included a $6 million signing bonus, which counted $1.