New Lions Injury Updates on Isiah Pacheco, Starting Center Cade Mays and Timelines for Return

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell shared updates on two players expected to play big roles for the offense in 2026.

Campbell said Monday that running back Isiah Pacheco has a "little" MCL sprain that shouldn't preclude him from playing in Week 1 of the regular season.

The early diagnosis is worse for projected starting center Cade Mays. The veteran lineman will be sidelined for a "significant period of time" because of a wrist injury. Campbell couldn't say when Mays might be healthy enough to suit up.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Mays suffered a fracture to a bone in his wrist, and the recovery timeline could be around eight to 10 weeks.

Pacheco is set to occupy the void in the backfield that was left when Detroit traded David Montgomery to the Houston Texans. Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs formed a dynamic tandem on the ground, and now Detroit is hopeful the former Kansas City Chiefs ball-carrier can be a similar complement to Gibbs.

Pacheco's MCL sprain points to what was one of his biggest issues in Kansas City, though. He missed 17 combined games between 2023-25, and he hasn't looked the same since fracturing his fibula two games into the 2024 campaign.

Sione Vaki, meanwhile, is recovering from a broken nose and an injury to his eye in what Campbell called a "freak" incident. A defender's hand got inside Vaki's facemask during a training camp drill.

Once an area of strength for Detroit, the running back position is looking like a question mark behind Gibbs.

When it comes to the offensive line, Mays' injury is a big setback after the Lions reshuffled the unit on the outside. Detroit is counting on first-round pick Blake Miller to start at right tackle, and three-time All-Pro Penei Sewell is approaching his first full year at left tackle.

Mays made 52 appearances in four years with the Carolina Panthers before signing with the Lions. Detroit didn't break the bank to land him, but a three-year, $25 million deal pointed to how important he'll be on the interior.

Instead, Juice Scruggs will have the inside track on the starting center job for the opener. He has just eight career appearances at center, having bounced around the line with the Texans.

Seth McLaughlin could be another option, though he missed his entire rookie year due to the ruptured Achilles he suffered in November 2024.