NFL
Why isn’t Frank Ragnow playing for the Lions against the Seahawks? Monday Night Football
The 28-year-old center picked up an injury in last weekend’s win against the Cardinals which Dan Campbell insists is serious, but not season-threatening.
The Detroit Lions welcome the Seahawks to Ford Field this evening as part of a Monday Night double header which wraps up the Week 4 fixtures. Both teams have enjoyed strong starts to the 2024 with Detroit 2-1 after wins against the Rams and Arizona while Mike Macdonald’s Seahawks remain unbeaten and top the NFC West thanks to wins against the Bills, the Patriots and the Dolphins.
Lions coach Dan Campbell has a number of players in the sick bay, including Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow, who has made two appearances since the season started. Ragnow suffered a pectoral muscle tear during the 20-13 win over the Arizona Cardinals last weekend and has not returned to practice.
Ragnow won’t be risked
In his last brief with the press, Campbell said he wasn’t going to take any risks with Ragnow. “I don’t feel that way. Frank heals up really quickly normally. He’s starting to feel a lot better. But we’re not going to mess with that. Frank’s tough. He’s as tough as nails. If anybody can play through it, it’s him. I think we’ve got to be smart. It’s early in the year. We’ve got a lot of football left.”
Ragnow’s status is ruled out, although Campbell didn’t want to speculate when the player might return. Detroit have a bye in Week 5, so with any luck, Ragnow might be available for the Week 6 game against the Cowboys.
Also on the injury list are Sam LaPorta, Ennis Rakestraw Jr (hamstring) and Levi Onwuzurike (knee). Campbell gave a positive appraisal of the Tight End, who he believes will be back in action soon. “LaPorta? He looked really good yesterday. That was good to see. He’s bounced back quickly, healed up nicely, so he’s good”.
LaPorta remains on the Lions’ injury report but with no status. Joining him are Rakestraw Jr, who is listed as questionable; Onwuzurike, Brian Branch (concussion), Hogan Hatten (shoulder), Alim McNeill (shoulder) and Dan Skipper (ribs).
On Tuesday, the Lions placed Marcus Davenport (elbow) and Derrick Barnes (knee) on injured reserve. Both players are expected to be out for some time, possibly for the remainder of the season.
Seahawks vs Lions: start time, how to watch on TV/online
The Seahawks vs the Lions is scheduled to kick off at 8:15 p.m. ET/5:15 p.m. PT. Viewers in the US can watch the game on ABC and ESPN+. If you don’t have cable, you can catch ABC’s coverage on the streaming platform fubo, which offers new users a free trial.
Enjoy the Seahawks vs the Lions on fuboTV (free trial available)
You can also follow AS USA’s live-text coverage of the Monday Night Football clash: Dane Arlauckas will be talking you through all the action at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan.
While Seattle have a 100% record in 2024, the Lions are 2-1. In Week 3, Detroit were 20-13 winners over the Arizona Cardinals in their last outing.