DETROIT – Can we talk about what was all over Frank Ragnow’s jersey during the Detroit Lions’ win against the Panthers?
The broadcast showed something that looked like blood all over the front of Ragnow’s jersey during the second quarter. Usually, a player will switch his jersey when it’s covered in blood, but Ragnow still had it on after halftime.
Let’s be honest: If there’s any player on the Lions who would continue to play with a jersey drenched in his own blood, it’s definitely Ragnow.
Remember three seasons ago, when the Lions were 5-7 and Ragnow played three full quarters against the Green Bay Packers... with a fractured throat? I didn’t even know you could fracture a throat, and this man had one while fighting 280-pound lineman.
Ragnow missed the following two weeks but returned for the season finale against the Vikings, even though the Lions had nothing to play for. We all would have forgiven him for sitting that one out, but he played 100% of the team’s offensive snaps.
So, now that the Lions are in first place and actually fighting for a playoff spot, it’s probably going to be hard to keep Ragnow off the field. Especially if it’s only a flesh wound.
Playing in the trenches is a grind, especially in the NFL. Those guys take a beating every single week. The Lions are lucky to have a tough center like Ragnow as an anchor.
