Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes doesn’t give out too many multi-year contracts during the offseason’s free agency period, but he does typically make at least one early move to secure a player that he envisions thriving on the roster for a few seasons. This year, center Cade Mays was the Lions’ primary target in free agency, as they not only secured his services on day one of the tampering period but also gave him a three-year deal.
On Tuesday, the details surrounding Mays’ contract with the Lions was made public. So, let’s take a closer look and see what we can ascertain.
Cade Mays: 3-year, $25 million, $14 million guaranteed
First, let’s take a look at Mays’ contract in an overview snapshot:
As you can see, Mays has three active seasons built into his contract, as well as four voided years (after he becomes a free agent) built in for salary cap purposes. Each season, Mays has “game” and “workout” bonuses that can be earned, as well as a team option bonus that kicks in for 2028 and is distributed across the voided years.
Like most Lions contracts, Mays’ first season in Detroit will carry a very low salary cap hit, then sharply increases in year two. But what makes Mays’ third year a bit unusual is the option bonus and how it results in a low cap hit in 2028—it could also give the Lions an “out” on the contract if Mays happens to underperform.
Let’s dig a bit deeper by taking a look at each year of Mays’ contract for more information.
2026
Base salary: $1.215 million
Signing bonus: $1.296 million
Per game roster bonus: $210,000
Workout bonus: $50,000
2026 cap hit: $2.771 million
Pretty straightforward NFL contract. Mays receives a large portion of his overall contract guaranteed ($14 million) and, in turn, allows the Lions to structure the contract with a low initial cap hit to help them manage their salary cap.
2027
Base salary: $7.695 million
Signing bonus: $1.296 million
Per game roster bonus: $255,000
Workout bonus: $50,000
2027 cap hit: $9.296 million
With a low cap hit in year one, Mays still maintains $11 million in guarantees into year two of his contract, and because his guarantees are larger than his cap hit, it means that it is cheaper for the Lions to keep him on the roster, rather than release him, if his play is not up to their standards.
Translation: Mays will almost surely be on the Lions roster through 2027.
2028
Base salary: $1.305 million
Signing bonus: $1.296 million
Per game roster bonus: $255,000
Option bonus: $1.478 million
Workout bonus: $50,000
2028 cap hit: $4.384 million
2029 (VOID)
Signing bonus: $2.592 million
Option bonus: $5.912 million
2029 cap hit: $8,504,000
If Mays is thriving in Detroit, and the Lions want him on their roster in 2028, they can simply let the contract play out, and Mays will see a large reduction in his cap hit from the previous season. However, the downside of this contract is that all the money structured into the “void” years will come due in 2029, when the contract officially expires.
In this design, while Mays gives them a low cap number in 2028, it would also trigger the “option bonus” years, meaning his third year on the roster would cost the Lions roughly $10.3 million in total cap space (spread out over two seasons).
That being said, as mentioned earlier, if Mays isn’t living up to his contract by year three, the Lions do have an out. For the Lions to get “out” of Mays’ contract for a relatively cheap cost, they could elect to release Mays before the option bonus kicks in. If they do that, Mays would become an immediate free agent, and the Lions would incur a $3.888 million cap hit in 2028, but they would have zero cap obligations in 2029.
This is a good contract for Mays because if he performs well and the contract stays intact, he’ll make a total of $25 million over a three-year period, and at age 29, he will still be in line for another payday in the NFL.
This is a good contract for the Lions because they incur a very low cap hit in 2026, and have a relatively cheap out after year two if Mays underperforms. In that scenario, Mays would cost them just under $16 million over two seasons (three contractually). If Mays does perform at or above expectations, investing $25 million into a starting center over three seasons is a bargain in the NFL.
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