The Detroit Lions filled one of their biggest needs of the 2026 offseason by reportedly signing center Cade Mays to a three-year, $25 million contract, with $14 million in guarantees. Mays previously started for the Carolina Panthers in 2025 and is expected to be the frontrunner for the Lions’ open starting center position.
Origin story
In college, Mays was a 35-game starter between his time at Georgia and Tennessee. There he played at both offensive tackle and guard, and showed the most promise as a right guard.
He was drafted in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft (pick No. 199) by the Panthers, and outside of a brief stint on the Giants’ practice squad in 2024, Mays spent the majority of his career in Carolina.
As a rookie, Mays started two games at left tackle as an injury replacement, then followed that up with five starts—one on the right side and four on the left— in 2023, and in 2024, Mays stepped in at center and started eight games for the Panthers.
In 2025, Mays was expected to play an interior swing role, but another injury to center Austin Corbett opened the door for Mays to once again seize a starting role. This time, even after Corbett returned from injury, Mays’ play was too good to ignore, and he stayed in the starting center role for the remainder of the season, adding another 14 starts to his resume.
What NFL analysts are saying
Brandon Thorne of Trench Warfare and Bleacher Report is one of the most respected offensive line analysts in the industry, and he noted on social media that “Mays is a stylistic fit with the physical identity of a Dan Campbell team and Hank Fraley OL room. Great situation to maximize his upside.”
Thorne also posted his analysis of Mays’ potential on social media:
“Mays is a brute-force presence at center who wins with size, length, and raw power. In a gap-oriented, downhill run scheme that allows him to work vertically, he can create displacement and secure interior lanes with authority.
“His aggressive, brawling style can introduce volatility when forced to operate laterally or isolated in true one-on-one pass protection but he did a nice job mitigating that last season by playing square and keeping his head out of blocks.
“Coming off his first season as a full-time starter (12 starts in 2025), Mays offers tangible upside if placed in a system that accentuates vertical movement and reduces space exposure. He is not yet a stable, all-situations center, but his physical traits provide a pathway to above-average play in the right environment.”
Expected role in 2026
Mays instantly becomes the front-runner for the Lions’ starting center opening—but put that in pencil, not pen. While Mays was signed for the role, he will face competition from a variety of sources, as the Lions traditionally explore a variety of offensive line combinations, looking for the best five to put on the field.
That means, Tate Ratledge could still get some looks at center in spring OTAs and training camp—though he is expected to stay at right guard. Newly-acquired Juice Scruggs will also likely get a chance to compete for the job, though he seems better suited for an interior swing/depth role. Returning backup center/guard Michael Niese and recently-signed center Seth McLaughlin will also be in the mix.
Look for Mays to open camp as the starting center, and based on his skill set/fit, the chances are that he’ll be able to fend off the competition.
Free agency impact
The Lions now have nine interior offensive linemen signed to their active roster, meaning they’re likely done adding competition via free agency, unless they find a good deal on a diamond-in-the-rough type of player.
NFL Draft impact
While the Lions may be done in free agency, they’ll likely entertain the idea of drafting and developing a center via the NFL Draft. There’s no guarantee the right player will be available at the right time for the right value—especially in what is considered a weak center draft class—but there is space on the roster for a developmental interior offensive lineman.
Players like Florida’s Jake Slaughter, Iowa’s Logan Jones, Indiana’s Pat Coogan, and Kentucky’s Jager Burton could all be players the Lions consider if they are available on Day 3.
You can keep track of the Lions’ roster moves and the latest NFL free agency news with our 2026 tracker, our contract tracker, and our rumor tracker.
