Chanhassen's Frank Ragnow, now with Lions, played through fractured throat

The injury does not even sound real. And the fact he played the entire game despite it is mind-boggling.

Detroit Lions center Frank Ragnow missed practice Wednesday with a fractured throat he suffered in last week's loss to the Green Bay Packers.

NFL Network, which first reported the injury, said it occurred in the first quarter of the game.

Ragnow, a Chanhassen graduate, played all 68 offensive snaps against the Packers, but his status for this week's game against the Tennessee Titans — plus the Lions' final two games — is uncertain.

The Lions have been in contact with three specialists to determine their next course of action with the injury. Ragnow's airway is unobstructed and he is able to eat, a person familiar with the injury told the Free Press, but he is not supposed to talk or otherwise strain his throat.

A fractured throat bone is extremely rare, according to the Journal of Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery, and typically the product of trauma associated with strangulation.

Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Henry Anderson suffered a similar injury in 2017 that kept him out of seven games. Anderson was hurt when he was hit in the front of his neck by a running back, and eventually required season-ending surgery.

Ragnow, in his third NFL season, has played at a Pro Bowl level this fall and along with Taylor Decker leads the Lions' much-improved offensive line. He and Decker are the only two Lions to play every offensive snap this season.

"He's grown as a player every way, as a player on the field, a player off the field, and he's fun to coach and the biggest thing for him is being a leader, excelling that way," offensive line coach Hank Fraley said earlier this month. "He's coachable and he's willing to be coached and he's always trying to strive to be the best. I just enjoy the energy he brings every day on that field and he's going to be a heck of a ballplayer for a long time in this league and he still hasn't touched his ceiling."

NFL owners have delayed a decision on implementing a 17-game regular season for 2021.

During a teleconference call Wednesday that replaced the usual December gathering of owners in Dallas, they opted to push back any move on the expanded season until early in 2021. The NFL and the players' union agreed during collective bargaining talks earlier this year to adding one regular-season game to the schedule, but not before next season.

"We had a lengthy discussion on this, obviously it's an important decision for us," Commissioner Roger Goodell said. "We did not take any votes with respect to committing to do it. In the collective bargaining agreement, we have that right to do it."

Goodell also said the league plans to invite vaccinated health care workers to the Super Bowl as guests. No set number of invitees has been determined for the Feb. 7 game in Tampa.