Lions center Mays sidelined; midseason return planned

Detroit Lions center Cade Mays suffered a fractured wrist in practice and is expected to miss a significant portion of the season, with initial timelines suggesting 8 to 10 weeks but later reporting hinting at a possible midseason or playoff return. The injury disrupts Detroit’s plan to stabilize the interior line with Mays, the club’s high-profile three-year, $25 million free-agent addition, and opens the starting-center job to Juice Scruggs, Seth McLaughlin, and potentially Tate Ratledge. Campbell stressed there is no firm return timeline, even as NFL Network initially pegged the recovery at roughly eight to ten weeks and playoff readiness, creating a shift from playoff-only hopes to a more immediate depth-chart concern. The Lions have already lost their projected starter and are weighing a rotation and competition at center, with Scruggs and McLaughlin expected to contend for the role, and Ratledge also getting reps at center. In the meantime, running back Isiah Pacheco has a mild MCL sprain but is anticipated to be ready for the season opener against the Saints, though his workload across camp and the preseason remains uncertain. With Mays out, Detroit must navigate a precarious early schedule by leveraging interior depth, including Niese and the possibility of reuniting veterans such as Graham Glasgow, as the team pursues stability up front.