The Detroit Lions have found their new center.
According to Aaron Wilson, the Lions have agreed to terms with former Carolina Panthers starting center Cade Mays to a three-year, $25 million contract. Per Wilson, $14 million of that is guaranteed.
Mays, the Panthers’ sixth-round pick in 2022, will turn just 27 years old in April. With the Panthers, Mays has appeared in 52 games and started 27. In the past two seasons, he’s started 20 games and hasn’t allowed a single sack.
At 6-foot-6, 325 pounds, Mays is a big-bodied lineman who can win with power. He’s also got enough athletic ability to get on the move, as well.
Mays was a player we identified as a cost-effective signing this offseason. Here’s more from Ryan Mathews:
“Mays clocked 793 snaps on offense this season, the most he’s registered in a single season so far in his four-year career, and with more than 1,200 snaps at center over the past two seasons, Mays has the kind of experience to reassure Detroit of his dependability. What’s more impressive about Mays’ play over the past two seasons has been his stout play in pass blocking: just 21 pressures and zero sacks allowed across 756 pass-blocking snaps. Pro Football Focus has a pass blocking efficiency metric that measures pressure allowed on a per-snap basis with weighting toward sacks allowed. Mays finished t-ninth among 35 qualifying centers with an EFF of 98.6. For reference, Linderbaum finished 30th in EFF (97.2), allowing 26 pressures and two sacks across 536 pass-blocking snaps in 2025.”
Detroit was in desperate need of a center following last year’s retirement of Frank Ragnow and the release of veteran Graham Glasgow last week. There was some talk about potentially moving second-year lineman Tate Ratledge to center, but this move appears to signify that Ratledge will stay at right guard for the time being. As for left guard, that battle may be between Christian Mahogany and Miles Frazier.
This offseason, the Lions have verbally committed to upgrading their offensive line after the unit took a significant step back last offseason. However, with left tackle Taylor Decker’s release request, there is still some work to be done by the Lions’ front office. But Mays is certainly a step in the right direction for one of Detroit’s biggest overall needs.
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