{"id":790748,"date":"2026-03-04T05:35:28","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T05:35:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/790748\/"},"modified":"2026-03-04T05:35:28","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T05:35:28","slug":"agent-reveals-detroit-lions-potential-plan-at-center","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/790748\/","title":{"rendered":"Agent Reveals Detroit Lions\u2019 Potential Plan at Center"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the Detroit Lions <\/a>continue shaping their offensive line plans for the 2026 season, one idea keeps resurfacing: moving Tate Ratledge<\/a> to center.<\/p>\n

According to reporting out of the NFL Scouting Combine, that possibility is very much alive.<\/p>\n

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Detroit Free Press beat writer Dave Birkett<\/a> reported that at least one agent who spoke with the Lions believes a position switch could be coming. As Birkett wrote:<\/p>\n

\u201cOne (agent) who spoke with the team believes they will move Tate Ratledge to center and open competition at the guard spots.\u201d<\/p>\n

That aligns with what Lions general manager Brad Holmes<\/a> has said publicly, both at the team\u2019s season-ending media session and again at the combine. While nothing is finalized, Holmes has repeatedly acknowledged that Ratledge playing center in the future remains a legitimate option.<\/p>\n

\"Detroit<\/p>\n

Detroit Lions offensive coordinator search Detroit Lions 2025 rookie class ranking Arthur Smith Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand Detroit Lions Terrell Williams Super Bowl Levi Onwuzurike contract Detroit Lions Joey Bosa Detroit Lions David Edwards Detroit Lions Bruce Gradkowski Detroit Lions center plan<\/p>\n

Why Ratledge at Center Is Back on the Table<\/p>\n

Ratledge spent his rookie season at right guard, but the Lions did experiment with him at center during his first training camp. Those early reps didn\u2019t result in a full position change, largely because the coaching staff believed guard offered a smoother learning curve for a rookie. Veteran Graham Glasgow ultimately handled center duties during the season.<\/p>\n

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Since then, Ratledge has gained experience, confidence, and a better understanding of NFL speed and protections, which is why the Lions appear more open to revisiting the idea.<\/p>\n

Holmes has emphasized flexibility when discussing Ratledge, noting that his ability to play multiple interior positions gives Detroit options depending on how the rest of the roster shakes out. Whether the Lions add another guard, a veteran center, or both, Ratledge is expected to remain part of the conversation at center.<\/p>\n

What This Means for the Lions\u2019 Offensive Line<\/p>\n

If Ratledge does move to center, Detroit would likely create open competition at guard, allowing younger linemen and potential additions to battle for starting roles. It would also give the Lions a cost-controlled solution at a premium position without forcing an expensive free-agent signing.<\/p>\n

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Nothing is set in stone yet, but the messaging has been consistent: the Lions are keeping their options open, and Ratledge\u2019s versatility could play a key role in how the offensive line looks in 2026.<\/p>\n

The post Agent Reveals Detroit Lions\u2019 Potential Plan at Center<\/a> appeared first on Detroit Sports Nation<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As the Detroit Lions continue shaping their offensive line plans for the 2026 season, one idea keeps resurfacing:…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":705267,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2071],"tags":[3337,22879,146,22878,113,2506,7,1520,147,6,628],"class_list":["post-790748","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-detroit-lions","tag-brad-holmes","tag-dave-birkett","tag-detroit","tag-detroit-free-press","tag-detroit-lions","tag-detroitlions","tag-football","tag-graham-glasgow","tag-lions","tag-nfl","tag-tate-ratledge"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116169286642753070","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/790748","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=790748"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/790748\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/705267"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=790748"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=790748"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=790748"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}