Dan Campbell all but dismisses Lions star’s injury status

Despite suffering a sprained knee and ankle during the win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Divisional Round last week, Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell has no doubts about center Frank Ragnow’s availability ahead of Sunday’s NFC Championship Game.

Ragnow was listed on Detroit’s official injury report this week as having injuries to his ankle, toe, knee, and back, but according to Campbell, the Pro Bowl center will be out there with his team against the San Francisco 49ers. 

Dan Campbell removes all doubt about Frank Ragnow’s injury status

Campbell’s confidence in Ragnow’s status for Sunday’s contest was validated by the Lions removing him from their injury report, listing him as a full participant in Friday’s practice after sitting out the previous two days.

“Frank’s [Ragnow] good. You know Frank,” Campbell said per Kyle Meinke, a Lions beat reporter for MLive.

Currently in his sixth season with Detroit since being selected by the Lions in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, Ragnow is the longest-tenured player on the team. He has seen the lowest of the lows during his time with the team, never experiencing a winning season in the NFL until 2022. 

So, it would have been shocking to see Ragnow miss the biggest game in franchise history in 30-plus years. 

He hinted as such when addressing the media this week, referencing adversity and the franchise hardships as obstacles that have instilled confidence in the entire team:

Even though he suffered multiple injuries in the game against the Bucs, Ragnow managed to miss only a few plays. The 2023 AP All-Pro Second Team center won’t let anything get in the way of being there for his team with the stakes as high as they’ve ever been for the Lions.

Detroit will certainly need Ragnow and the rest of the offensive line to step up against a ferocious 49ers defensive front if they want to play in Super Bowl LVIII.