Jason Kelce calls out Lions for ‘bulls---' contract demand to retired Pro Bowl center

The Detroit Lions forced retired Pro Bowl halfway Frank Ragnow to wage backmost immoderate of his signing bonus, and Philadelphia Eagles large Jason Kelce is not blessed astir it.

The Lions person done this earlier with immoderate of the champion players successful their franchise history, Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson, and it has created a rift successful their narration with the 2 Pro Football Hall of Famers. Kelce said helium thinks it’s "bulls---" that the Lions are asking Ragnow to instrumentality money.

"While I get that the squad has a close to inquire for wealth back, successful the tone of the agreement, I deliberation it’s bulls--- Frank is being asked to instrumentality money," Kelce posted to X.

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Monday Night Countdown’s Jason Kelce talks during the pregame amusement earlier the crippled betwixt the New York Giants and the New England Patriots astatine Gillette Stadium successful Foxborough, Massachusetts, connected Dec. 1, 2025. (Eric Canha/Imagn Images)

"This was intelligibly a subordinate that the crippled had physically taken its toll on, and his assemblage was intelligibly nary longer holding up to the rigors of the NFL. It wasn’t conscionable immoderate subordinate deciding helium didn’t privation to play anymore, it wasn’t that simple, and these signing bonuses are determination to support players from the inevitable injuries they incur connected the field."

Ragnow signed a four-year, $54 cardinal declaration hold successful May 2021 that made him the highest-paid halfway successful the NFL, with a $6 cardinal signing bonus. The signing bonus from that declaration counted $1.5 cardinal each play against the wage headdress from 2023–26.

Lions president Rod Wood confirmed that the squad asked for a "portion" of Ragnow’s signing bonus.

"Our precedent goes each the mode backmost to Barry Sanders," Wood told the Detroit Free Press. "And if Barry Sanders paid backmost money. … And I deliberation the world is, they’re not paying backmost their money, they’re returning our money. Cause they were paid successful beforehand for services that they hadn’t completed."

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Frank Ragnow (77) of the Detroit Lions looks connected during an NFL shot crippled against the San Francisco 49ers astatine Levi's Stadium successful Santa Clara, California, connected Dec. 30, 2024. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)

Kelce said helium understands the squad wanting its wealth backmost if the subordinate retired without crushed and if that subordinate did not fulfill the request of the contract. In Ragnow’s case, Kelce thought the four-time Pro Bowl halfway retired owed to wellness issues aft leaving it each connected the field.

"However, Frank was known for being wounded and playing done injuries astir players wouldn’t play done constantly. Broken foot, a torn pec, aggregate genu injuries, backmost issues. There was ever something, and I’m definite helium was continuously dealing with aggregate ailments to effort and proceed playing the game. His assemblage intelligibly had deteriorated to a grade that made shot nary longer a viable option, physically, and astir apt mentally," Kelce wrote.

"In my opinion, the signing bonus is expected to support players from aboriginal carnal ailments limiting their availability connected the field, that’s 1 of the reasons you privation much guaranteed wealth upfront."

Ragnow retired earlier past season, but attempted a comeback during November, but helium failed a carnal due to the fact that of a torn hamstring. However, contempt Ragnow retiring due to the fact that of injury, Wood views arsenic the signing bonus arsenic the team’s money.

"It’s the Lions’ money, it’s not the player’s money," Wood said.

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Detroit Lions halfway Frank Ragnow (77) lukewarm up earlier the crippled betwixt the Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills astatine Ford Field successful Detroit connected Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

Kelce said the intent of the signing bonus is to beryllium a warrant up front.

"The full intent of a signing bonus is to beryllium a warrant up beforehand that insures a wage irregardless of show metrics, oregon astir importantly injuries that could compromise your vocation successful the future," Kelce wrote.

Including playoffs, Ragnow played successful 100 games for the Lions, and made the Pro Bowl 4 of the past 5 years of his career.

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