Lions forced Frank Ragnow to pay back part of his signing bonus when he retired
By Michael David Smith
Published on March 31, 2026.
Lions President Rod Wood confirmed that the team required former Lions center Frank Ragnow to pay back a portion of his signing bonus when he retired. This is a practice that NFL teams are permitted to do when a player retires with seasons remaining on his contract. This precedent has been noted by both Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson, who were required to repay their bonuses when they retired. Wood argued that it's only fair for a player to repay money for services he didn't perform.
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