Dan Campbell praises Frank Ragnow, shuts down ‘disrespectful’ contract narrative

Dan Campbell addressed the media for the first time since Frank Ragnow retired, praising his All-Pro center and shutting down a “disrespectful” narrative.

On Thursday, the Detroit Lions will wrap up their sixth and final Organized Team Activity (OTA) practice of the spring, and coach Dan Campbell addressed the media for the final time before training camp. Campbell opened his press conference by discussing All-Pro Frank Ragnow’s decision to retire and why he respected his decision—while also shutting down a false narrative.

“Franks’s been unbelievable,” Campbell told the media on Thursday while fighting through emotions. “Teammate, football player, (and) man of the community, man, he’s done it all. He will be sorely missed. One of my greatest memories I have of Frank was the Divisional (Championship playoff game) against Tampa Bay. Fourth and one, and we run downhill with Craig Reynolds, and (Frank’s) got big boy (Bucs’ DT Vita Vea). And he hits him, then (drops) to his knee, and he has to get back up and tie up the block so we could score, and it was huge. That’s the type of player he was. So, he’ll be missed.”

Here’s a look at the play Campbell was referencing:

After a brief statement about how he feels confident they’ll be prepared on time, Campbell abruptly pivoted back to Ragnow, aggressively addressing the narrative that he may have retired due to being unhappy with his contract.

“I’ve got all the respect for Frank Ragnow,” Campbell sternly stated. “I love him to death. And quite frankly, some of this stuff about contract talk: that’s disrespectful. That’s not what this was ever about. Love you, Frank. Appreciate you.”

When asked to elaborate further on the topic, specifically whether Campbell believed the team would have met Ragnow’s contract demands, the coach confidently said he thought they would have.

“Yeah, if that was the deal, I think we would’ve found a way because the communication would’ve been open and clean and clear. But I also know Frank, and this was not about that. This was not about that,” Campbell reiterated.

Campbell would acknowledge that Ragnow sought his counsel when debating retirement, noting that communication between the team and their star player was ongoing and open.

“We knew he was contemplating (retirement) for a while,” Campbell explained. “But there was never a yes or no, or whatever. We did our best to give him his space and let him sort it out, which he did. It was one of those ‘you’re going to come to a decision at some point here, and we’d certainly like it before the offseason is out. And he did, and it was time.

“Listen, whenever you know it’s your time, it is the right time. Because it’s not fair to him, and it’s not fair to his teammates, or anybody else. I respect the hell out of him for the decision. It’s not easy to do. It’s not easy to do. But he knows himself, and I’ll always respect that.”