'If Barry Sanders paid back money...': Lions CEO explains Ragnow bonus repayment

PHOENIX -- Nestled in a corner just inside the main lobby of the Arizona Biltmore hotel, a smirk crept across Rod Wood's face as he met with local reporters during the NFL annual meeting.

The Detroit Lions president and CEO was totally aware, but unbothered, by the negative reaction he received among fans, across social media, and by players stemming from a report that the organization forced recently retired center Frank Ragnow to repay a "portion" of his 2021 signing bonus, just as the franchise had done with hall of famers Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson after they retired before their contracts expired.

"I'm never surprised by anything so ... no," Wood said, smiling.

In May of 2021, Ragnow signed a four-year, $54 million contract extension. The deal set to run through the 2026 season and included a $6 million signing bonus. But last June, after battling injuries throughout his career, Ragnow, who was a three-time All-Pro selection in his seven NFL seasons, walked away from the game with two years remaining on his contract.

"I really don't spend too much time looking at what other teams do and I don't imagine they spend too much time looking at what we do," Wood said during the NFL's annual meetings on Tuesday. "We have to do what's right for our organization and if I worried about optics, we wouldn't do a lot of things. But, I'm very comfortable with where we are and every situation has been handled separately and differently. I don't have anything else to say on that."

Earlier this week, Wood confirmed to the Detroit Free Press that the team sought "a portion" of Ragnow's signing bonus proration, but declined to say how much Ragnow returned.

The team's logic was simple, Wood said. It's their standard. And it has been since Sanders abruptly retired in 1999 at age 31, and then Johnson followed suit in 2016 at age 30.

"Our precedent goes all the way back to Barry Sanders," Wood told the Free Press. "And if Barry Sanders paid back money. ... And I think the reality is, they're not paying back their money, they're returning our money. Cause they were paid in advance for services that they hadn't completed."

Former Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone, who signed with Tampa Bay last month, came to Ragnow's defense via X, formerly known as Twitter. He didn't agree with the Lions' stance.

"Played through fractured throat, one week post meniscus clean up w/ stitches barely out, inoperable/unrepairable toe, etc.. 'Hey let me get that prorated signing bonus back,'" Anzalone wrote with crying emojis. "Do business as business is being done."

Former Eagles center Jason Kelce also called out the Lions in a lengthy X post, calling it a "bulls- - -" demand by the organization.

Kelce said the purpose of a signing bonus is to be an up-front guarantee that ensures a salary regardless of performance metrics, "or most importantly injuries that could compromise your career in the future."

"So while I get that the team has a right to ask for money back, in the spirit of the agreement, I think it's bulls- - - Frank is being asked to return money," Kelce wrote. "This was clearly a player that the game had physically taken its toll on, and his body was clearly no longer holding up to the rigors of the NFL.

"It wasn't just some player deciding he didn't want to play anymore, it wasn't that simple, and these signing bonuses are there to protect players from the inevitable injuries they incur on the field."

Last November, Ragnow attempted to come out of retirement but failed his physical examination after Detroit's medical team revealed he had a Grade 3 hamstring strain that would prevent him from playing.