The Detroit Lions have placed veteran center Cade Mays on injured reserve with a designation to return.
Mays, who suffered a wrist injury that's set to have him miss "significant" time, according to coach Dan Campbell, will now be forced to miss at least the first four games of the 2026 regular season. The Lions are allowed two players with an "IR-to-return" designation; when a player is given one of these designations, he does not count against the 53-man roster limit.
The move doesn't come as a surprise, but it does add a bit of finality to a situation that seemed somewhat fluid after NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on Aug. 10 that the injury could keep him out for "roughly 8-10 weeks."
The reported timeline would give him a chance to return in Weeks 4 through 6, but Mays' addition to the list would allow him to come back in Week 5 at the earliest.
Detroit has a bye in Week 6, which could prompt the Lions to delay his return to the lineup to maximize his recovery, even if it goes well.
#lions #mays #return #designation
Mays, who suffered a wrist injury that's set to have him miss "significant" time, according to coach Dan Campbell, will now be forced to miss at least the first four games of the 2026 regular season. The Lions are allowed two players with an "IR-to-return" designation; when a player is given one of these designations, he does not count against the 53-man roster limit.
The move doesn't come as a surprise, but it does add a bit of finality to a situation that seemed somewhat fluid after NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on Aug. 10 that the injury could keep him out for "roughly 8-10 weeks."
The reported timeline would give him a chance to return in Weeks 4 through 6, but Mays' addition to the list would allow him to come back in Week 5 at the earliest.
Detroit has a bye in Week 6, which could prompt the Lions to delay his return to the lineup to maximize his recovery, even if it goes well.
#lions #mays #return #designation
16 days ago
