Mahogany had mononucleosis that wiped out over half his rookie season
Christian Mahogany was drafted in the 6th-round of the 2024 draft with the hopes he would challenge for a backup role at offensive guard behind the two entrenched starters Graham Glasgow and Kevin Zeitler. However, an unexpected illness delayed his debut in the NFL.
Medical history
Immediately before training camp started, Mahogany was diagnosed with infectious mononucleosis (aka mono). While mono is rarely a serious issue, it can keep a player out of action for a while due to splenomegaly.
See my full article detailing the infection here.
Impact on season
The mono kept him out all of training camp and landed him on the NFI (non football injury) list to start the season. His practice window did not open until October 8 (week 5). His first appearance in a game wasn’t until November 24 (week 12) when he played four special teams snaps.
For a rookie to miss all of camp and a large portion of the early season, it seemed a long-shot for him to find an impactful role on the team due to both physical and mental preparedness. Thus, it was surprising that he made an appearance as the primary OG backup on December 5 (week 14) when starting RG Kevin Zeitler left briefly for a suspected eye issue.
Two games later on December 22 (week 16) vs the Bears, Mahogany made his big debut when he started and played 100% of offensive snaps due to a Graham Glasgow injury. His performance was impressive – especially since he had missed so much time earlier in the year.
Here he is at LG showing nimble feet in that game against the Bears…
Mahogany followed up his regular season performance with another good starting performance in the playoffs when he played the entire game due to a Zeitler hamstring injury.
Salary cap implications
Going into the 2025 season, there are high hopes that Mahogany can take over a starting OG position. From a financial perspective, a 6th-round starter on the offensive line would be a huge benefit to the Lions salary cap.
For comparison:
- Graham Glasgow signed a 3-year, $20 million contract to start at LG last offseason.
- Kevin Zeitler signed a 1-year, $6 million contract to start at RG last offseason. This offseason as an unrestricted free agent, he signed a 1-year, $9 million contract with the Titans.
- Trey Smith, OG of the Kansas City Chiefs, was recently franchise tagged at $23.4 million.
Meanwhile, the 2025 cap hit for Mahogany will be less than $1 million as he enters the second year of his 4-year, $4.2 million rookie deal. With players like Aidan Hutchinson, Brian Branch, Jahmyr Gibbs, Jameson Williams, and Sam LaPorta worthy of big extensions, every saved dollar matters.
Outlook
While the rookie debut was a good beginning, there are some question marks for Mahogany going forward. He only started two games all year so is far from proven yet. Medically, he has a history of a right ACL tear in 2022 and was playing with a right knee brace all last season for unknown reasons. The knee brace raises concerns there is a chronic knee issue that could cause problems over a long 17+ game season.
Despite the concerns, there is plenty of optimism for Mahogany going into the next season. He was able to overcome an infection that sidelined him for months to become a quality, fill-in starter down the stretch. Last year’s starting RG, Kevin Zeitler, left for the Titans in free agency this offseason opening the door for Mahogany to step through. This door was blown off the hinges when Frank Ragnow retired.
During OTA two weeks ago, Mahogany was starting at the LG position with 2nd-round rookie Tate Ratledge at center and Glasgow at RG. Early indications are that Mahogany is in pole position to become a starter in 2025.
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