Jared Goff's New Teammate Sets the Bar for Lions QB Ahead of 2026 Campaign
December 21, 2025, Detroit, Michigan, USA: December 21 2025: Jared Goff 16 during the Detroit Lions vs Pittsburgh Steelers at Ford Field in Detroit MI. Brook Ward / Apparent Media Group. Detroit USA - ZUMAa234 20251221_zsa_a234_202 Copyright: xAMGx
December 21, 2025, Detroit, Michigan, USA: December 21 2025: Jared Goff 16 during the Detroit Lions vs Pittsburgh Steelers at Ford Field in Detroit MI. Brook Ward / Apparent Media Group. Detroit USA - ZUMAa234 20251221_zsa_a234_202 Copyright: xAMGx
If there was any doubt about the Detroit O-line, Cade Mays has settled it. The Lions signed Mays to a three-year, $25 million deal.
"I'm a smart and hard working guy, who's gonna do all I can to get the job done, make the people around me better and do all I can to help this team win," he said.
He was one of The Athletic’s top 40 free agents going into the offseason, and one of the top centers in the NFL, and a smart choice over Connor McGovern and Tyler Linderbaum, who are set to make $13 and $27 million per year in their fresh contracts. But that's not all.
Let's talk numbers. After being drafted by the Panthers in 2022, Mays has allowed just 5 sacks across 52 games. Just last season, he allowed zero sacks over 726 snaps. For Jared Goff, who got sacked 38 times last season, that might just be the most important factor.
With Mays, the Lions can come out as a dominant team in the trenches. But more importantly, his signing makes Tate Ratledge play from his natural position as the right guard, rather than the Lions forcing him to play as the center.
Cade Mays Reveals Why He Signed With the Detroit Lions
Being one of the top centers in the NFL, Mays had plenty of options in free agency. He loves the physicality side of the brand of basketball that Detroit plays. That's why the Lions were a perfect fit.
“I love the brand of football they play. I feel like I would have fit in here. Coming into free agency, I felt like this was a team where they fit what I do, and I fit what they do. Really looking forward to it.”
Combining their style of approaching the game, Mays had every reason to be confident that he would fare well in Detroit.
“Hard-nosed grit. Obviously, you see it all around the building. But I feel like I just fit into what they do, and I was very, very interested when going through the free agency thing. I’m super excited about it.”
With ample experience, Mays' hard-nosed style is a perfect fit for Detroit's lineup.
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Written by
Nandjee Ranjan
Edited by
Siddharth Shirwadkar