ALLEN PARK — Frank Ragnow stood tall on locker room cleanout day and tried to put his thoughts into words after the top-seeded Detroit Lions went one-and-done in the postseason.

Ragnow, who earned his third-straight Pro Bowl bid and second consecutive All-Pro second-team nod, battled through injuries once again this season.

And while the sting of the divisional-round loss to the Washington Commanders isn’t going anywhere. The 28-year-old said he’s entering the offseason feeling better than he can remember, and that’s very good news.

Ragnow has battled toe, knee, back, ankle and pectoral injuries in recent years. This past year, Ragnow partially tore his pectoral and miraculously missed only one game along the way. He’s the man who once played through a fractured throat, so his reputation as one of the NFL’s toughest warriors is well-earned.

“Perspective-wise, comparatively, I’m healthier than I’ve ever been, so that’s a blessing,” Ragnow said Sunday afternoon back in Allen Park.

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Ragnow knows more about heartbreak and tough times with this franchise than most. He’s the second-longest tenured member of this roster, with his seven years here trailing only left tackle Taylor Decker.

Through his first four seasons in the league, the Lions finished in last place in the NFC North. He didn’t taste the playoffs until Year 6, with the previous year’s trip to the conference title game. Ragnow is frustrated with how this season ended, going one-and-done despite being the No. 1 seed after a team-record 15 wins.

But Ragnow knows the foundation of this team is strong, and he’s doing his best to look at this as just another chance to learn from and overcome adversity.

“There’s so many talented dudes in this room,” Ragnow said. “Not only talented but the right mindset, just the right-wired guys that are willing to do whatever it takes for their teammates and put it all on the line. I’m just so grateful to be a part of this locker room because there’s a lot of special, special dudes.

“The foundation that Brad (Holmes) and Dan (Campbell) have set with pillar-stone players in this locker room. I think it’s going to be tough for us to do anything besides success. There are always talented players all over this league, but some talented players in this locker room are built like nothing I’ve seen. You look at Penei. You look at St. Brown, Hutch. Alim. Those are young guys that are not only as talented as all get out, but they have the right mindset.”

Ragnow remains one of those pillars, too, without question. To make three straight Pro Bowls and two straight All-Pro teams while dealing with the laundry list of injuries? That’s herculean stuff that people shouldn’t lose sight of here.

Pro Football Focus ranked Ragnow as the third-best center in the NFL among those with enough snaps to qualify. He allowed only two sacks across 1,060 snaps and once again excelled at paving rushing lanes in the middle of the line.

Ragnow is also the quarterback of the offensive line, identifying blitzes and anything worth noting from the line of scrimmage. He was a major factor in the team’s sweep of the Minnesota Vikings and their blitz-happy defense to clinch back-to-back division titles.

Hank Fraley, the team’s offensive line coach, routinely credits Ragnow with his dedication to his craft and understanding of how the opponent wants to attack him. Not to mention, Ragnow is one of the first people, players or coaches, in the building each day.

Fraley is also someone Ragnow wants to keep around for the long haul. They have been together for the center’s entire career, with Ragnow joking he’s going to do his best to tank Fraley’s chances of leaving for a promotion. The offensive line coach has interviewed with the Seattle Seahawks for their vacant offensive coordinator position.

“In this league, there are a lot of coaches, but there’s not many coaches like him that empower his players,” Ragnow said. “Really, it is an open dialogue. I’ve said it before, but him being a former center in this league, that’s been invaluable to me, talking about how he sees things, and not only him giving me advice. But me telling him how I see it, and him being willing to listen? I think that’s so rare.

“I refuse to let Hank leave. I haven’t played in this league without him. I don’t plan on doing it, so I’ll sabotage him, I’ll leak stories about him (laughs).”

But for now, Ragnow is eventually heading home to Minnesota, albeit much earlier than he expected for the offseason.

“It’s brutal, bro,” Ragnow said. “Like people are asking me, ‘When am I going home?’ I wasn’t planning on it. I wasn’t planning on any of this. That’s the frustrating part of this. It’s just (over) like that. I cannot believe it’s over.”

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