Linebacker Jack Campbell leaving Sunday’s contest on a cart and spending the night in the hospital received a lot of attention after the Detroit Lions win in Week 8. But the team also sustained multiple other injuries to key players.
The injured list included center Cade Mays, who started just his second game of the season against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday after returning from a broken wrist. Mays left during the second quarter of Week 8 with a lower-leg injury.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler provided an update Monday on Mays just before Lions head coach Dan Campbell went to the podium for his weekly press conference.
“Lions center Cade Mays suffered a low ankle sprain Sunday vs Minnesota, per source,” wrote Fowler on X.
With no other details, it’s hard to tell if that’s good or bad news. However, a low ankle sprain is better than a high-ankle sprain.
Veteran interior lineman Juice Scruggs replaced Mays after he departed Sunday. The Lions went on to defeated the Vikings 19-15 to improve to 5-2.
Dan Campbell Says Lions Center Cade Mays Won’t Practice Wednesday
Campbell was even more vague than Fowler with his update on Mays to begin his Monday press conference. The head coach simply stated the center “has an ankle” when he addressed the injury.
But Campbell did suggest Mays might face an uphill battle toward playing in Week 9.
“I don’t see him practicing, certainly, Wednesday,” said Campbell.
Mays suffered his injury at about the 10-minute mark of the second quarter on a play where quarterback Jared Goff threw his first interception of the season. The veteran center underwent testing on the sidelines and then went into the locker room for further evaluation.
Mays didn’t return for the rest of the game. Without him, the Lions scored two touchdowns and a field goal in the final 40 minutes.
Mays Recently Returned From Injury for Lions
The ankle injury for Mays wouldn’t be so disappointing if the veteran center hadn’t just returned from an ailment.
Mays suffered a fractured wrist during a training camp practice in August. That ruled out the center for 8-10 weeks, causing him to begin the campaign on injured reserve.
Mays made his Lions debut in Week 7 versus the Green Bay Packers. That remains the only contest where he fully played from start to finish for Detroit.
The Lions signed Mays to a 3-year, $25 million contract in NFL free agency this past spring. The interior lineman was the most expensive free agent the team inked to a deal in 2026.
Mays played his first four NFL seasons with the Carolina Panthers. He started 27 contests for the Panthers, including 12 at center during the 2025 campaign.
Carolina selected Mays at No. 199 overall in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia and Tennessee.
If Mays can’t play in Week 9, the Lions will very likely start Scruggs at center. The Lions will visit the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, November 8.
Lions Get Injury Update on Center Cade Mays: Report