The Detroit Lions are waiting on a piece that could matter in a big way once the division slate heats up.
Cade Mays, the center Detroit signed in the offseason to start, has been out since early August after a wrist injury. Through two games, the offensive line has not held up especially well, and Jared Goff has already taken the 10th most pressures in the league with 28, according to NextGen Stats.
Juice Scruggs has filled in and done enough to keep things moving, but the Lions do not look like a team built to lean on that arrangement for long. Mays could be back by the middle of October, and if that recovery lines up with the Week 6 bye, his first two games back would come at home against the Packers and Vikings.
That would be a significant spot to reinsert him.
Detroit should have a path to be 3-2 after the bye, with games against the Jets, Panthers and Cardinals leading into that stretch. But nothing about that run is simple. The Jets may have one of the league’s best defenses, and the Panthers have already put up 71 points in two games, so those wins are far from automatic.
The Packers could be a particularly tricky landing spot for Mays’ return on Oct. 25.
It might also be the first game back for all-pro EDGE Micah Parsons, and his presence would lift Green Bay’s defense across the board. Parsons already gave Detroit problems in 2025, when he posted 3.5 sacks and nine total tackles in two games against the Lions.
Green Bay also sits No. 3 in the NFL in pressure rate at 45.6%.
If Mays is back at center, Scruggs could slide back into the guard rotation, giving the line a better look overall.
The challenge only grows from there. Minnesota’s pressure rate of 49.4% trails only the Las Vegas Raiders at 50%, and OLB Dallas Turner has already been a problem for opponents. He had a career-high 10 pressures and two sacks against the Bears in Week 2.
Then there’s Brian Flores, who remains one of the league’s toughest defensive coordinators when it comes to manufacturing pressure. The Vikings swept the Lions last season and logged five sacks in each meeting. If Detroit is still short-handed up front, that kind of number can climb quickly.
Mays’ return would also matter in the run game. Jahmyr Gibbs managed 52 rushing yards on 16 carries against the Bills, a 3.3 average that won’t be enough if Detroit wants to make noise in 2026. Both Green Bay, which ranks ninth, and Minnesota, which sits 15th, are in the top half of the league in rushing yards allowed per game.
In Other News...
Lions Secondary Issues Are Forcing Detroit To Act Fast
The Lions are trying to stabilize a secondary that has been hit hard early, and that urgency showed up this week at the Allen Park Performance Center. Detroit has allowed 71 points through the first two games, a rough start that has put even more pressure on a defensive back group already dealing with injuries, including safety Avonte Maddox.
Among the players getting workouts are veterans Jordan Fuller and Jalen Mills, both of whom bring NFL experience and familiarity with the league grind. Mills also has a prior connection to Detroit after being claimed off waivers by the Lions in 2025, and the teams decision to bring in that kind of depth suggests it is moving quickly to find answers before the schedule creates even more problems. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Suddenly Have A Secondary Issue They May Need To Solve Fast
When the Lions get back from their break, the defensive backfield will be worth watching closely. Detroit plans to work out a group of defensive backs, including Jordan Fuller and Jalen Mills, as it continues to sort through both health questions and performance concerns in the secondary. Avonte Maddoxs foot injury is part of the picture, and the team has already been forced to keep an eye on a unit that has needed help at times.
There is at least a path toward relief if the timing breaks right. Safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph remain on the Physically Unable to Perform list, but both may be nearing a return to practice, which could help stabilize a group that has been thinned out. Until then, the Lions may need these workouts to do more than just add bodies, because the back end of the defense has become a spot they may have to solve quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Face One Big Week 3 Question Before Aaron Glenn Returns
The Lions head into their Week 3 matchup at Ford Field with a familiar face on the other sideline and a few questions of their own to sort through. Jets head coach Aaron Glenn, who spent last season as Detroits defensive coordinator, has already been dealing with the fallout from a late-game timeout decision in a recent loss, while the Lions continue trying to steady a defense that has not met its own standard.
Aidan Hutchinson suggested adjustments are coming after the latest poor showing, a reminder that Detroit is still searching for the right mix on that side of the ball. With Glenn back in town and the Lions looking to respond at home, the week has a little more edge than a typical early-season game. The bigger issue now is whether those defensive changes show up in time to matter against a coach who knows the building well. [Read more 🡒]