The Minnesota Vikings don’t need much help to see the path through the NFC North, but they may have just gotten a useful break anyway.
Detroit center Cade Mays is expected to miss 8-10 weeks after fracturing a small bone in his wrist during a recent training camp practice, according to ESPN’s Eric Woodyard. Lions head coach Dan Campbell confirmed the injury Monday, though he stopped short of giving a firm return date. Detroit is hoping to get Mays back by midseason, and Campbell joked that he would “be ready for the playoffs.”
For Minnesota, it’s the kind of setback that matters even before the teams meet. The Vikings don’t play the Lions until Nov. 1 at Ford Field, but a weakened middle of Detroit’s offensive line could still shape how that game looks by the time it arrives.
That center spot has already been a problem area in Detroit. Frank Ragnow retired last June, and Graham Glasgow handled the job for stretches while dealing with multiple injuries.
That eventually pushed Ragnow to pursue a comeback during the 2025 campaign, only for that attempt to end when he suffered a Grade 3 hamstring strain while getting ready to return. The Lions then passed on shifting rookie guard Tate Ratledge to center and instead signed Mays this offseason to steady the position.
Mays, a four-year veteran with the Carolina Panthers, posted the busiest season of his career last year with 726 offensive snaps. He held up well in pass protection, allowing 11 pressures and no sacks on 399 pass-blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
Detroit has some backup options, but they come with their own questions. The Lions also added Juice Scruggs from the Houston Texans in the David Montgomery trade, though Scruggs struggled when he previously started at center in 2023, giving up 22 pressures and five sacks on 511 pass-blocking snaps.
That opens a door for Minnesota, especially with the Vikings’ young interior defensive line waiting in the wings. Jalen Redmond, along with rookies Caleb Banks and Domonique Orange, could be in position to attack a Detroit interior that already has some uncertainty. Christian Mahogany struggled with both performance and injury in his first season as a starter, and Ratledge went through some growing pains after entering the league as a second-round pick.
The Vikings know firsthand how damaging a shaky center situation can be. Ryan Kelly dealt with multiple concussions last season, and Garrett Bradbury was pushed around at times during his run in Minnesota.
Detroit still enters the season with the 6th-easiest schedule in the NFL, but the early stretch is no cakewalk. The Lions open against the New Orleans Saints on Sept. 13, go to the Buffalo Bills for the debut of Highmark Stadium on Sept. 17, and host the Green Bay Packers on Oct. 25.
Last season showed how little margin there is in this division. One or two losses can be the difference between staying in the race and falling to the bottom, and Detroit is also dealing with the loss of Isiah Pacheco because of an MCL injury.
If the line continues to shift around, it could become a target for any pass rush. Even with Penei Sewell moving to left tackle after Taylor Decker’s release this spring, the Lions still have work to do up front. That leaves the Vikings with a chance to keep an edge in the division after beating Detroit twice last year.
In Other News...
Vikings Starting QB Decision Still Hanging Over Every Camp Rep
The Vikings went back to work for their 10th training camp practice at TCO Stadium, a night session in full pads that gave the roster another chance to show where things stand before the preseason really starts to sharpen the picture. Christian Darrisaw and Caleb Banks were held out for planned rest, while Jordan Addison was back on the field after a thumb injury, a welcome sight for a team still sorting through its offensive pieces.
Kevin OConnell, though, is leaving the biggest question open a little longer. The starting quarterback decision remains unsettled, with the staff continuing to lean on camp reps and evaluation rather than rushing to a conclusion, and the work has stayed close enough that every throw matters. For now, the Vikings are still in the phase where the competition itself is the story, and the final answer is still waiting to reveal itself. [Read more 🡒]
Aaron Jones Just Added Intrigue To A Vikings Camp Battle
The Vikings are spending camp sorting through more than just a quarterback competition. With assistant head coach Frank Smith helping install a wide-zone rushing attack, there is at least a chance Minnesota leans more into the ground game this season, and that has put a few running backs in a more interesting spot than they might have been otherwise. Among them is rookie Demond Claiborne, the sixth-round pick whose speed has already made him a name to watch.
Aaron Jones has only added to the curiosity around that battle by backing Claiborne, a notable endorsement for a rookie trying to carve out a role. Minnesota has other backs in the mix, but how much room there ultimately is for the run game remains unclear with the offense still centered on the passing attack and the QB fight drawing most of the attention. For now, the backfield is one of those camp stories worth watching closely because the shape of it may say as much about the Vikings' identity as any preseason snap. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Camp Suddenly Has Two Storylines Fans Need To Watch
A public practice at TCO Stadium gave Vikings fans a better look at where things stand in camp, and the first thing to note was simple enough: both J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray were out there in pads. With the team still working through its quarterback competition, head coach Kevin OConnell said the process is moving on the same schedule as before, while also indicating Murray has picked up the offense faster than expected mentally.
There were other personnel updates worth tracking, too, with Christian Darrisaw and Caleb Banks resting and Jay Ward in concussion protocol. Jordan Addison was back in full pads, a welcome sign for a receiver group that needs its pieces in place as camp starts to sharpen into real roster decisions. [Read more 🡒]