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Dan Campbell on Cade Mays injury
The Lions are looking to replace their new center after Cade Mays suffered a wrist injury that will sideline him for a portion of the upcoming season.
FOX 2 - The Lions have already lost their starting center and the first preseason game of 2026 is three days away.
The backstory:
Cade Mays will miss "a significant" amount of time due to wrist injury, Lions Coach Dan Campbell said Monday.
"Cade Mays had a wrist injury, he will be out for a significant period of time," he said. "He will be back for the season at some point, but it will be down the road.
"I hate it for him, I felt like he was having a good camp and he had grown so much in our system since spring, and for us, too."
Mays was arguably Detroit's biggest free agent addition, coming over from the Panthers, allowing last year's second-round pick Tate Ratledge to move back to guard.
Juice Scruggs, acquired from the Texans in the David Montgomery trade, will get the first crack at the role.
"There's a reason why we have Juice here, too, and some of these guys," Campbell said. "They're going to get a look."
The short-term solution is unclear, as the Lions prep for their preseason opener Thursday.
One thing is clear, watching the offensive line competition in the weeks ahead takes on a greater importance with the loss of Mays.
There is also possibility the Lions bring in a free agent at center or a camp cut from another team to help bolster depth at the suddenly thin position.