Due to his fractured throat, center Frank Ragnow can’t speak, but could still play for the Detroit Lions on Sunday.
Ragnow was injured in the first quarter of the Lions’ loss to the Packers last week. He continued in the game and played every offensive snap in the game.
Doctors advised Ragnow not to speak — at all — until Friday. But interim head coach Darrell Bevell said the Lions aren’t ruling Ragnow out of this week’s game in Nashville against the Tennessee Titans.
“I think the initial concern was just all the trauma that he had to it, so after seeing more specialists throughout (Wednesday), they basically brought it to that it’s more of the vocal cord injury,” Lions interim head coach Darrell Bevell said Thursday.
“So they’re having him rest his voice, won’t be speaking really here. (Wednesday), no words spoken; today, no words spoken, he’s not supposed to talk through Friday, and then we’ll be able to reevaluate it on Friday toward the end of the week.”
The Lions had the team’s medical staff evaluate Ragnow at halftime last week. He deemed himself good to go, and trainers agreed.
Given the national attention to the injury, and Ragnow being asked to remain silent, Bevell said there is plenty of good-natured ribbing of Ragnow going on at the team’s Allen Park, Mich., facility. Ragnow is responding to questions with hand motions, thumbs up and thumbs down.
“You can imagine what it’s like in here, right?” Bevell said. “Everybody knows he’s not supposed to talk, so they’re all trying to get him to say something.”
Ragnow and quarterback Matthew Stafford (ribs) are questionable, with guard Jonah Jackson working at center in practice Wednesday and Thursday, snapping to backup quarterback Chase Daniel.
“I knew something was going on, but pretty crazy he was able to finish the game with that,” Stafford said of Ragnow. “Love him as a teammate. Obviously will play through a bunch and just fights every weekend for us.”
(Field Level Media)
