Lions' Frank Ragnow: Nursing long-term injury

Ragnow indicated that the toe injury that has impacted his availability each of the past two seasons is a long-term concern, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports. "It's a deal where it's kind of inoperable, so it's something we're trying to navigate," Ragnow said this offseason. "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 suffered an injury in Week 4 of 2021 that was described as "the most severe degree of turf toe," and he missed the rest of the season after undergoing surgery. He suffered the injury again in the 2022 season opener, but he decided against surgery and only needed to miss one game en route to his second career Pro-Bowl nod. While it is possible that the 27-year-old Ragnow can put together another impressive season while playing through a high degree of pain, investors must acknowledge the fact that the literal and figurative centerpiece of Detroit's heralded offensive line carries a high degree of injury risk.