Frank Ragnow is locked in for the long haul with the Lions.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Thursday, Ragnow and Detroit have agreed to a four-year extension. The 24-year-old is said to now be the NFL’s highest-paid center:
Lions center Frank Ragnow agrees to 4-year extension, making him highest-paid center in NFL, per source. He had two years left on his deal.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 6, 2021
A later update via NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero said that Ragnow’s extension is worth $13.5 million per season.
According to Spotrac, the previous honor of highest-paid center in the NFL was shared between the Chargers’ Corey Linsley and Colts’ Ryan Kelly. Those two both are signed to deals worth an average annual salary of $12.5 million.
In 2020, Pro Football Focus did put Ragnow in the company of such players. The football analytics outlet graded Ragnow an 80.3 overall last season. That was good for the third-best mark of any center in the league.
Linsley, who left the Packers for the Chargers via free agency this offseason, clocked in as their top center. Only the Browns’ J.C. Tretter separated Linsley and Ragnow on PFF’s rankings.
Ragnow was the Lions’ first-round pick in 2018. On April 28, the team picked up the fifth-year option on his rookie deal.
