Less than 24 hours before the Green Bay Packers visit the Detroit Lions in a heavyweight Thanksgiving showdown, the defending NFC North champions caught everyone off guard by announcing that All-Pro center Frank Ragnow is coming out of retirement.
It's one move that transforms the Lions' offense, addressing the concerns at center while allowing Graham Glasgow to move back to guard. Essentially, his return fixes two major issues for Detroit, which makes the Lions a far more daunting prospect down the stretch in a fascinating NFC North race.
However, the Packers do not have to worry about facing Ragnow on Thanksgiving Day. And the significant Lions offensive line news doesn't end there.
Frank Ragnow won't play against Packers despite announcing that he's coming out of retirement
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Ragnow will not play against the Packers on Thanksgiving. He added that it's "unlikely" he will even play next week against the Dallas Cowboys, with a Week 15 return the most likely scenario. That's understandable, given that Ragnow hasn't had a chance to practice and learn the adjustments to the scheme without Ben Johnson.
Ragnow's return helps Detroit's Super Bowl hopes, but it doesn't do much for Thursday afternoon. The Lions have ruled out starting center Graham Glasgow, while right guard Tate Ratledge, left tackle Taylor Decker, and right tackle Penei Sewell are questionable.
We can assume Ratledge, Decker, and Sewell have a good chance to play, but losing Glasgow is significant in this game.
The Lions have already been forced to play Kayode Awosika at left guard to replace the injured Christian Mahogany. Per PFF, Awosika allowed two sacks last week. Now, with Glasgow out, it will be either Trystan Colon or Kingsley Eguakun starting at center.
That's good news for Micah Parsons, who could see plenty of snaps inside, just as he did in Week 1 against the Lions.
Ragnow's return will eventually help Detroit's offense, but barring these teams meeting again in the playoffs, Green Bay won't have to worry about facing the four-time Pro Bowler.