The Detroit Lions will not have Cade Mays available for a reunion with his former team Sunday night, but Dan Campbell finally provided some clarity on when Detroit could get its starting center back.
Campbell said Monday that the Lions have been targeting a post-bye return for Mays, who has been sidelined since early in training camp with a broken right wrist.
“That was kind of always the goal was, man, can we get him after the bye,” Campbell said. “He’s doing a good job right now, but I don’t want to put a timetable just yet on him.”
That means Mays will miss Sunday’s game against Carolina and Detroit’s Week 5 matchup with Arizona. The Lions then have their bye on Oct. 18, potentially putting Mays in position to return when Detroit resumes its schedule.
Lions Getting Closer to Mays’ Return
Mays was Detroit’s biggest outside free-agent addition of the offseason, making his injury particularly frustrating after the Lions signed him with the expectation that he would stabilize the middle of their offensive line.
The former Panther suffered a broken right wrist during training camp and opened the regular season on injured reserve. Players placed on IR must miss at least four games, but Campbell’s comments indicate Detroit was never planning to rush Mays back as soon as he becomes eligible.
His eventual return could provide a significant boost for an offensive line that has been forced to adjust without him. Detroit has managed to start 2-1 despite the absence, and Jared Goff has opened the season with one of the best three-game stretches of his career, throwing eight touchdown passes without an interception.
Mays Misses the Carolina Reunion
For now, Mays will have to watch as the Lions travel to face the team he spent his first four NFL seasons with. Detroit also caught another significant break for the matchup when Carolina Pro Bowl cornerback Jaycee Horn was ruled out indefinitely with a quad injury.
Campbell isn’t promising Mays will be back immediately after the bye.
But for the first time, Lions fans have a realistic target.
And if Mays continues progressing, Detroit could be getting an important piece of its offensive line back for the heart of its schedule.
