The Detroit Lions’ training camp has taken another hit, and this one landed right in the middle of the offensive line.
Head coach Dan Campbell said Monday that center Cade Mays will miss a “significant” stretch after suffering a wrist injury during a protection rep. Campbell called it a freak accident and said the injury will cost Mays time in the regular season, though he expects him to be back by the playoffs.
“It was just in protection," Campbell said. "He was rushing, the D lineman made a arm-over move and chopped at it. It's one of those freak things."
NFL reporter Ian Rapoport later reported that Mays sustained a small fractured bone in his wrist and could be looking at an eight- to 10-week recovery window, which would point to an early-to-mid-October return.
Mays had been brought in on a three-year deal to eventually take over at center after Frank Ragnow retired abruptly before last season. Graham Glasgow handled the job in 2025, but his results were uneven and the team moved on from him before free agency.
Now the Lions are shuffling through their interior depth chart. Juice Scruggs, acquired in the David Montgomery trade, is dealing with a soft-tissue injury, but Campbell said he should still be in the mix once he’s healthy again. Seth McLaughlin, an undrafted free agent from Ohio State who signed on a futures deal this offseason, is also in the race, along with Michael Niese.
Tate Ratledge, projected to start at right guard, is also getting work at center after spending time there in training camp last year.
“Those are the guys, that's why their here. Juice is dealing with a little bit of an injury, soft tissue.
He won't be out there today," Campbell said. "It'll be still a few more days before he's back, but certainly Juice is a candidate.
McLaughlin's gonna get looks, obviously. He'll probably run mostly with the ones today, Niese has done it and then Ratledge is gonna work.
I don't see him doing team, but we've got to get him back up to speed with doing a little snapping just in case. We've got options.
Listen, it's the hand you're dealt and you move on."
The backfield has been hit too. Isiah Pacheco, brought in this offseason to back up Jahmyr Gibbs after Montgomery was traded to Houston, has an MCL sprain. Campbell said it should be a shorter absence and sounded optimistic about Pacheco’s chances of being ready for the start of the season.
“It'll be a little bit. He's got a little MCL sprain, but we feel good about that," Campbell said. "We feel pretty good about him being ready to go certainly when the season gets here."
Pacheco is now the second Lions running back sidelined, joining Sione Vaki, who is out after a freak eye injury and a broken nose.
With Vaki and Pacheco both unavailable and Gibbs only recently back after a contract-related hold-in to open camp, the Lions have been leaning on Jacob Saylors and Jabari Small. Campbell said Monday that he’s been encouraged by what both have shown.
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Lions Rookie Is Suddenly Forcing His Way Into Camp Conversations
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For Gill-Howard, the timing matters because camp is the sort of setting where a strong day can shift the conversation around a rookie in a hurry. The Lions are still sorting through depth and roles along the defensive front, so any sign of growth from a young interior lineman is worth tracking. Sunday did not settle anything, but it did give Gill-Howard a better seat at the table going into the next stretch of camp. [Read more 🡒]