Lions' Cade Mays Expected to Miss 8-10 Weeks with Wrist Fracture During Training Camp
Lions starting center Cade Mays fractured a small bone in his wrist during training camp and is expected to miss approximately 8-10 weeks, per a source who spoke to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Head coach Dan Campbell said Mays will miss a 'significant period of time' but joked he 'will be ready for the playoffs.'
Lions starting center Cade Mays fractured a small bone in his wrist during a recent training camp practice and is expected to miss approximately 8 to 10 weeks, according to a source who told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, per ESPN. Head coach Dan Campbell confirmed the injury will sideline Mays for a "significant period of time" but joked that "he'll be ready for the playoffs," per ESPN.
Mays was signed as an unrestricted free agent in the offseason to strengthen an offensive line that struggled last season. He spent his first four seasons with the Carolina Panthers after being selected in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft out of Tennessee. Last season with Carolina, Mays posted a 94.3 percent pass block win rate that ranked 20th among qualified centers while allowing just one sack, per ESPN.
The 8-to-10-week timeline means Mays will miss the Lions' training camp, preseason games, and potentially part of the regular season. The Lions' season opener against the New Orleans Saints is scheduled for September 13, per ESPN. The absence forces Detroit to audition replacements at center before the season begins. Campbell said the Lions will try Juice Scruggs, Seth McLaughlin, and Michael Niese at the position as they attempt to find the best fit before Week 1, per ESPN.
The Mays injury is not the only roster concern in Detroit's camp. Running back Isaiah Pacheco is dealing with an MCL sprain and will miss some time, though Campbell expects him to return before Detroit's Week 1 home contest against New Orleans, per ESPN. Campbell said he is "not concerned" about Pacheco's MCL sprain injury.
Campbell declined to offer a specific return date for Mays beyond the general 8-to-10-week window. The source material does not specify whether Mays' injury will require surgery or can be managed conservatively, and no official statement from the Lions' medical staff or injury report was cited in ESPN's reporting.
Mays, signed as an unrestricted free agent in the offseason to strengthen the Lions' offensive line after last season's struggles, is sidelined with an 8-to-10-week wrist fracture, according to ESPN's reporting from NFL Network.
Mays will miss a significant portion of the preseason and early regular season, forcing the Lions to audition depth options at center and risking offensive line continuity just as the season begins. Watch for which backup emerges as the starter in camp and whether the 8-to-10-week absence extends beyond the September 13 opener.
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