The Tate Ratledge-at-center experiment ended quickly in training camp, but the Detroit Lions haven’t closed the door on the rookie offensive lineman moving to the position yet.
Lions coach Dan Campbell said Monday, Dec. 29, that Ratledge still could be the Lions’ long-term answer at center after playing this season at right guard.
“I know that we felt like he could be a center, and that’s still, that’s not off the table,” Campbell said. “We watched him at guard. He played right guard in college. He’s a good athlete, he’s a big man, he can move. So, we’ll find out. I mean, we’ll find out.”
Detroit Lions guard Tate Ratledge on the field prior to the preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Friday, Aug. 8, 2025.
The Lions took Ratledge in the second round of April’s draft and played him at center throughout the offseason while Frank Ragnow contemplated retirement.
Ratledge opened training camp at the position after Ragnow retired in early June, but moved to his natural right guard position – the only position he played in college at Georgia – after three days.
Graham Glasgow has played most of the season at center, but is unlikely to return in 2026 at his $6.5 million base salary. Glasgow has missed the past two games with a knee injury, and Trystan Colon and Kingsley Eguakun have started games in his place for the Lions this year.
Eguakun had two bad snaps that led to fumbles in last week’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings, a defeat that dropped the Lions to 8-8 and knocked them out of playoff contention.
Ragnow briefly unretired in November, but never played this season after failing his physical with a torn hamstring. The Lions placed him back on the reserve/retired list and could be looking for a replacement again this offseason.
Campbell indicated Ratledge is not in the mix to play center in this week’s season finale against the Chicago Bears. The Lions (8-8) are out of playoff contention and could use the game to assess young players at several positions.
Detroit Lions offensive linemen left to right: Graham Glasgow, Penei Sewell and Tate Ratledge walk through the tunnel prior to the game against the Minnesota Vikings at Ford Field on Nov. 2, 2025 in Detroit.
Campbell said Ratledge has shown “growth” at right guard this season. The rookie was part of massive communication problems that hampered the offensive line in a season-opening loss to the Green Bay Packers but shined as a run blocker at times this year. He has seven penalties this year and, according to Pro Football Focus, has allowed 24 pressures.
“There’s been growth, and that’s really what you want out of your rookies,” Campbell said. “You want to feel like that there has been growth taking place. And being between Graham, for most of the year, and [Penei] Sewell has helped, but there’s a ton of growth left. And he’s going to have to take another step. He’s going to have to take another step next year – preferably this next game coming up, take another baby step here. But he’s going to need to take another step, which he’s got that, he’s capable of.”
Campbell said he wants to see the line as a whole finish strong this week after choppy play throughout the year.
“Just a little bit better, see if we can polish some things up,” he said. “Work together, work our combinations. Just a little bit. But I can say that for every position, too. I really can. Just like I can say that for us as coaches. We got to collectively all get better.”
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