Dan Campbell broke the news Monday morning that Lions starting center and top free agent signing Cade Mays would miss significant time with a wrist injury.
NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport provided some additional details on Mays’ injury. Per Rapoport, Mays fractured a small bone in his wrist and will be sidelined roughly eight to 10 weeks.
“Because of the nature of the bone and where it is, he’s going to miss eight to 10 and not six to eight (weeks). That puts him back right around the middle of the season. It’s not great, but it could certainly be worse for Cade Mays,” Rapoport said on NFL Network’s Inside Training Camp Live.
The short end of that timeline would have Mays returning for the Lions’ Week 5 date at the Arizona Cardinals on Oct. 11. If it’s a full 10 weeks, that would mean Mays would return after Detroit’s bye for its Week 7 date versus the Green Bay Packers on Oct. 25.
Campbell said the Mays injury happened with the 6-foot-6, 325-pound center in pass protection when when a “D-lineman made an arm-over move and chopped at it.”
Campbell called it “one of those freak things” and declined to share a potential return timeline earlier on Monday morning.
“This’ll be a while. I’m not going to give you a timeline. He’ll be ready for the playoffs. I do feel good about that,” Campbell said.
Campbell said that Seth McLaughlin, Juice Scruggs and Tate Ratledge could all be options at center for Detroit.
“I hate it for (Mays) because I felt like he was having a good camp and he had grown so much in our system just in spring,” Campbell said. “And for us, too. But at the same time, there’s a reason why we have Juice here, too, and some of these other guys. And they’re going to get a look. And you brought up McLaughlin, he’s going to get an opportunity. And that’s the best way to find out on some of these guys. I mean, that’s all you can ask for. It’s like, ‘Man, it’s your shot, let’s see where he can go with it.’
“We’ve got options. Listen, it’s the hand you’re dealt and you move on,” Campbell said.
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This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: NFL insider updates Lions’ Cade Mays injury, potential return timeline
Reporting by Josh Helmer, Lions Wire / Lions Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Josh Helmer, Lions Wire | USA TODAY Network
