Cade Mays’ Recovery Timeline Could Push Lions Toward IR Move, While Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph May Open on PUP

The Detroit Lions’ depth chart for the first weeks of the season could look different than it does in training camp. According to reporting from ESPN via Eric Woodyard and reiterated by Pro Football Rumors, the Lions are likely to place center Cade Mays on injured reserve to open the campaign, a move tied to his recovery from a wrist fracture.

That same reporting suggests a second layer of roster planning for the Lions’ defensive backfield. Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph are expected to remain on the physically unable to perform list at the start of the season, keeping them off the active roster while they continue to work back from their respective situations.

In the NFL, teams can use these designations to manage roster availability without permanently cutting ties to players who are not ready for Week 1. The Lions, like every club, have to balance immediate needs with the practical constraints of getting players medically cleared and practicing in a way that allows them to rejoin game plans.

For Detroit, the most direct impact is at center. Mays’ absence at the start of the season would force the Lions to align the rest of the offensive line around whoever takes over the snap responsibilities initially. While the league offseason is built for continuity, an early-season center change affects communication and timing, especially in pass protection where checks and protections are handled at the line of scrimmage.

The potential PUP status for Branch and Joseph points to a similar theme on defense: preparation versus readiness. Both players are important pieces in the Lions’ overall secondary structure, and beginning on PUP can slow the pace at which a defense rotates them into live reps. The Lions’ coaching staff will have to decide how much to lean on other coverage options while Branch and Joseph are still working through limitations.

The reporting also frames the expected designations as part of the process to set the initial 53-man roster for the regular season. In other words, the Lions may have multiple players in “not ready yet” categories, but the team still has to finalize who is eligible to play while those players are sidelined under the roster rules.

As the season approaches, the primary thing to watch is whether Detroit’s timetable changes before the roster is finalized. If the Lions are able to get any of these players practicing sooner than expected, the team could adjust its initial plans. If not, Detroit will likely spend the season’s opening stretch leaning on its next-man-up options in both the interior of the offensive line and the back end of the defense.

For fans, the early-season roster designations are easy to miss, but they can become plot points quickly. When multiple starters are managed through IR and PUP at once, it can affect defensive communication, coverage assignments, and offensive rhythm, all of which tend to show up in the first games. Detroit’s ability to cover those gaps early could set the tone for how quickly they regain their full identity on both sides of the ball.