Detroit Lions lose Cade Mays to long-term wrist injury

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Allen Park — The Detroit Lions prioritized upgrading its offensive line this offseason, particularly the center position, but those plans took a significant blow over the weekend when Cade Mays suffered a wrist injury that will sideline him well into the regular season.

“He will be out for a significant period of time,” Campbell said. “He will be back for the season at some point, but it will be down the road.

Campbell declined to put a more detailed timeline on the absence, only stating he was confident Mays would be back for the playoffs.

The injury occured during a pass protection snap in practice, when a defensive lineman attempted to get around the center and chopped across Mays’ arm.

“It’s one of those freak things,” Campbell said.

The loss of Mays, who was brought in to replace Graham Glasgow, will force Detroit to dig into its depth to find new starting and backup solutions.

Among the top options is Juice Scruggs, who was acquired in an offseason trade that sent running back David Montgomery to the Houston Texans. The former second-round pick started 13 games at center in 2024.

It also opens the door for Seth McLaughlin, the former Rimington Trophy winner at Alabama who spent much of 2025 recovering from a torn Achilles.

Campbell also indicated that the team will revisit Tate Ratledge as the snapper after testing last year’s second-round pick at that spot in the early stages of his first offseason with the team.

Scruggs is currently sidelined by a minor soft tissue injury. McLaughlin is expected to handle the majority of first-team reps during the team’s Monday practice leading into the preseason opener on Thursday.

“You hate it,” Campbell said. “I hate it for (Mays) because I felt like he was having a good camp and he’d grown so much in our system, just in spring. So, in that regard, yeah. And for us, too. But at the same time, there again, there’s a reason why we have Juice here, too, and some of these other guys, you know? And they’re going to get a look. You brought up McLaughlin. He’s going to get an opportunity. That’s the best way to find out on some of these guys. That’s all you can ask for.

“It’s like, man, it’s your shot, let’s see where we can go with it,” Campbell said. “But we’ve got options. …Look, we’re going to find the best five. We will find the best five. And we’re trying to find that before (the season) starts, but, look, if this goes into the season, it does. But at some point, we will find the best five and where they belong, and they’ll be ready.”