NFL Rumors: Detroit Lions Pro Bowler Won't Be 100% at Beginning of Season

The Detroit Lions offense was one of the pleasant surprises of the 2022 regular season, but it may not be at full power come Week 1. Two-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman Frank Ragnow spoke earlier this offseason on a foot injury that bothered him all throughout last year and revealed he expects to have to manage the injury indefinitely.

Lions center Frank Ragnow optimistic about his health after playing all of last season through a "brutal" foot injury that he suffered in Week One. https://t.co/tlyHYeQBzm
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) May 19, 2023

"It's a deal where it's kind of inoperable, so it's something we're trying to navigate," Ragnow said this offseason, per detroitlions.com. "But hopefully it's not going to be anything near the altitude of last year, where it was, like, brutal. There's no healthy tissue left, so it would have to be an experimental procedure to get that done. And that's not something NFL offensive linemen are in the business of (trying)."

Ragnow appeared in 16 games for the Lions in 2022 and earned a Pro Bowl as well as a respectable 77.9 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, so he can still play at a high level going forward so long as he doesn't exacerbate the injury.

The Lions have one of the NFL's more underrated offensive lines; Ragnow and starting tackles Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell all graded as above average in 2022 according to PFF. The stability of that unit is a big reason why the Lions finished fifth in points scored and fourth in yards gained in 2022.

Playing well through injuries is a requisite for elite players in the NFL, but the severity of the situation Ragnow describes doesn't bode well for his long-term prospects. It's possible he can gut out another solid season in 2023, but he may not have many more left in him.