Lions' Mays out into season; Pacheco hurts knee
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- Cade Mays fractured a small bone in his wrist during a recent training camp practice and will miss a "significant period of time," with a source telling NFL Network's Ian Rapoport the injury will sideline him roughly eight to 10 weeks.
- Head coach Dan Campbell acknowledged the blow but said the Lions will find their "best five" up front, with Juice Scruggs, Seth McLaughlin, and Michael Niese slated to compete at center in Mays' absence.
- Mays was signed as an unrestricted free agent this offseason after Detroit's offensive line struggled last year; he spent his first four seasons with the Carolina Panthers after going in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft out of Tennessee, posting a 94.3% pass block win rate that ranked 20th among qualified centers.
- Isiah Pacheco has an MCL sprain, though Campbell said he is "not concerned" and expects the running back back before Detroit's Week 1 home opener against the New Orleans Saints on Sept. 13.
- Campbell praised Mays' camp while joking that "he'll be ready for the playoffs," underscoring both the upside of the signing and the timeline uncertainty around his return.
Why it matters: Detroit added Mays to fix an offensive line that was a weak spot last season, so losing him for 8-10 weeks during camp throws that plan into disarray and forces the Lions to audition Scruggs, McLaughlin, and Niese at center right up against a Sept. 13 opener against New Orleans.
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