Pride of Detroit
On Tuesday, the Indianapolis Colts signed quarterback Philip Rivers, who had been in retirement for five years and was a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame for the 2026 class. The 44-year-old quarterback could very well be the reason the Colts—at 8-5 but without starter Daniel Jones for the rest of the season—make the playoffs and potentially a Super Bowl run. It’s an incredible story, and almost seems too ridiculous to be true.
So let’s live in the ridiculous for a minute. Obviously, the Detroit Lions nearly had their own out-of-retirement story, with center Frank Ragnow returning to the team only to fail his physical and re-enter retirement last month. That’s an unbelievable story on its own, but let’s try to imagine a more positive outcome for the Lions.
Today’s Question of the Day is:
My answer: Ragnow really would have been one of the best options for this team considering all of the struggles on the interior offensive line. However, there are some other intriguing choices out there, too.
One of my first thoughts was safety Glover Quin, who would be a big help to a Detroit secondary that has given up too many big plays and will be without Brian Branch for the rest of the year. With Kerby Joseph still battling his knee injury, Quin could be the veteran leader and playmaker the Lions need on their backend.
As for some offensive line help that doesn’t involve Ragnow, maybe T.J. Lang or Dominic Raiola?
And, of course, I’d always take Calvin Johnson back.
Which former Lions player—regardless of era—would you take from retirement right now? Share your answer in the comment section below.
