Veteran center Cade Mays suffered a wrist injury that will keep him out a 'significant period of time,' head coach Dan Campbell announced Monday morning.
"He will be back in the season at some point," Campbell said. "It will be down the road."
Mays, 27, was Detroit's top free agent acquisition this offseason, signing him to a three-year contract to anchor the center of the Lions' offensive line. He appeared in 52 games and started 27 in his first four seasons in the league with Carolina at both guard and center. Over the past two seasons, he started 20 games and hasn't allowed a sack.
"It was protection. (He was getting rushed) and D-lineman made an arm-over move and chopped at it," Campbell said of the injury. "One of those freak things."
View photos from Day 9 of Detroit Lions training camp on Sunday, August 9, 2026.
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike (95) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center on Aug. 9, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Nicole Scharff/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (0) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center on Aug. 9, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Nicole Scharff/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center on Aug. 9, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Nicole Scharff/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Raheem Blackshear (42) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center on Aug. 9, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Nicole Scharff/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center on Aug. 9, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Nicole Scharff/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions tight end Jackson Meeks (13) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center on Aug. 9, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Nicole Scharff/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions offensive lineman Melvin Priestly (74) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center on Aug. 9, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Nicole Scharff/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions cornerback Nick Whiteside (38) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center on Aug. 9, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Nicole Scharff/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta (87) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center on Aug. 9, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Nicole Scharff/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions cornerback Nick Whiteside (38) and Detroit Lions assistant head coach/safeties coach Jim O'Neil during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center on Aug. 9, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Nicole Scharff/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Tarik Black (12) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center on Aug. 9, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Nicole Scharff/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Tyre West (52) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center on Aug. 9, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Nicole Scharff/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (0) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center on Aug. 9, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Nicole Scharff/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions offensive lineman Melvin Priestly (74) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center on Aug. 9, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Nicole Scharff/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions cornerback Nick Whiteside (38), Detroit Lions safety Thomas Harper (12) and Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center on Aug. 9, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Nicole Scharff/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions tight end Tyler Conklin (83) and Detroit Lions cornerback Nick Whiteside (38) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center on Aug. 9, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Nicole Scharff/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (0) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center on Aug. 9, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Nicole Scharff/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams (1) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center on Aug. 9, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Nicole Scharff/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Dominic Lovett (19) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center on Aug. 9, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Nicole Scharff/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions cornerback Roger McCreary (21) and Detroit Lions wide receiver Greg Dortch (8) during training camp at the Meijer Performance Center on Aug. 9, 2026 in Allen Park, Mich. (Nicole Scharff/Detroit Lions)
Mays' injury opens the door for Juice Scruggs and Seth McLaughlin to step into a bigger role along Detroit's offensive line. The Lions could look to add another veteran to the group too.
Scruggs came over from Houston in the David Montgomery trade. He played 37 games with 20 starts playing both center and guard his first three seasons. McLaughlin suffered a torn Achilles in November of 2024 in his last season at Ohio State. He went undrafted because of the injury despite being one of the best centers in college football. McLaughlin was on Cincinnati's practice squad last season.
"That's why they are here," Campbell said of Scruggs and McLaughlin. "(Scruggs) is dealing with a little bit of a soft tissue (injury), so he won't be out there (Monday). He'll be a few more days before he's back, but certainly (Scruggs) is a candidate.
"McLaughlin is going to get looks, obviously. He'll probably run mostly with the one's today. (Michael) Niese has done it."
Campbell said right guard Tate Ratledge will also get back up to speed taking snaps at center, which is something he did early last year in the offseason and training camp before he shifted to guard full-time.
"We have options," Campbell said. "It's just the hand you're dealt, and you move on. I hate it for (Mays) because I felt like he was having a good camp. He had grown so much in our system since spring. There again, there's a reason we have (Scruggs) here, too, and some of these other guys and they are going to get a look."
