Former Tennessee Vols offensive lineman Cade Mays is in a position this offseason that no one saw coming

The former Tennessee Vols standout is set to be a free agent this week.

Zach Ragan — Tennessee Volunteers News Writer
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Former Tennessee Vols offensive lineman Cade Mays is in a position this offseason that not many folks saw coming a couple of years ago.

Mays, a sixth round selection by the Carolina Panthers in the 2022 NFL Draft, had an uneven start to his NFL career.

The former Vol, who started his college career with the Georgia Bulldogs before transferring, started in seven games over his first two seasons in the NFL. Mays was then released by the Panthers ahead of the 2024 season. He was briefly signed to the New York Giants’ practice squad before returning to Carolina in the middle of the 2024 season.

Mays ended up starting eight games for the Panthers in 2024. This past season, Mays started 12 games at center for Carolina.

Cade Mays is in store for a big payday as a free agent

Mays is slated to hit free agency this week, and he’s likely in store for a big payday.

The Knoxville native was recently named by NFL executives (via ESPN) as a “sleeper free agent”.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano suggested that Mays could be in line for a deal that pays him $8 million annually (the center market is thin).

“Some teams anticipate he could make $8 million per year on a new deal,” noted Fowler and Graziano of Mays.

If Mays receives a deal worth $8 million, it would place him among the top 10 paid centers in the league.

That’s quite impressive for a player that was hanging out on multiple practice squads as recently as 2024.

And who knows, if a bidding war erupts, maybe Mays ends up earning a deal that pays him around $10 million annually. Either way, the former Vol is going to get paid this offseason.

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