Does Frank Ragnow Botched Return Pass Smell Test?

The Detroit Lions are currently battling for their playoff lives.

Adding a player like Frank Ragnow seemed like a perfect solution. It would give the public perception general manager Brad Holmes had a plan all along to repair an offensive line unit that has fallen well short of expectations.

One small wrinkle.

Ragnow, 29, was not healthy. After undergoing a physical, it was discovered that the former first-round pick had a grade 3 hamstring strain.

When the severity of the injury was disclosed, several important questions were clearly raised.

How could the team announce publicly a player was returning that was clearly not in shape to play?

How did Ragnow expect to help the team while dealing with a hamstring injury?

How was Ragnow living with a injury that severe?

Jay Glazer publicly expressed during Fox's NFL pregame show that Ragnow has a high tolerance for pain. That point has been clearly established, but it seems like the smart NFL player let his heart overpower his rational thinking.

With so much time off, it was not realistic that he would come in and give his team a massive advantage over players on the Lions' roster that have been training and preparing every week.

Taylor Decker indicated after the loss to the Packers he had been speaking and consulting with Ragnow for several weeks.

"He's one of my best friends, love the guy to death. He was just kind of using me as a soundboard and kind of getting feedback from me," said Decker. "I don't think I necessarily convinced him, other than the fact that maybe he loves me and he wants to come play with me a little bit more. I knew it was probably going to happen for probably about a month. I'm just like, 'Pull the trigger, dude. Come on.' But I love him to death. I'm happy to have him back."

The allure of coming back may have served as relief for the growing guilt possibly felt for leaving his team and a unit that struggled mightily without him.

Dan Campbell addressed the unfortunate news that Ragnow failed a physical on Friday.

"We just didn’t know the severity of it until we had the final physical and all the tests that were run that we do with anybody we bring in," Campbell explained. "So yeah, we had an idea, we just didn’t know it was going to be that extent."

Campbell commented further, "Of course, we're disappointed. Just because Frank's such a good dude and a great teammate, and he's a productive player. But at the same time, he's injured, too. So, man, you quickly move off of that and to know what it is. He's not playing. It's all good, man. We adjust, we move on. We're onto Dallas now."

No question, it is believable that the All-Pro wanted to come in and see if there was anything he could do to help.

The Lions really botched this situation by releasing that he was coming back, prior to clearing him medically.

Fans got their hopes up and were again left deflated, knowing there are still major issues with the offensive line.

The latest 'Lone Wolves' podcast reacts to the stunning news Ragnow is not returning in 2025 to help the team down the stretch.

Don't miss any future episodes of the podcast. Make sure to subscribe to the Lone Wolves podcast, which is available everywhere your favorite podcasts are housed.

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