The Detroit Lions are still looking for answers to their offensive line issues. After Cade Mays suffered a wrist injury in training camp, the Lions went back to the drawing board to find the best five-man combination. Dan Campbell and the coaching staff have been trying different options at center, but nobody has run away with the starting job so far.
One of those players is Seth McLaughlin. The second-year player has been getting a lot of starting reps at center, both in practice and in games. Unfortunately for him, he hasn't done enough to justify a roster spot, let alone the starting job.
Seth McLaughlin has to be better in preseason finale to justify a roster spot
It was a tough Saturday afternoon for McLaughlin. He was the weak link on the offensive line, getting called for two false starts and giving up a sack. He received a 50.9 offensive grade on Pro Football Focus. This came on the heels of a middling performance in Preseason Week 1 when he was credited with another sack allowed.
McLaughlin's struggles are understandable. After going undrafted because of his ruptured Achilles in the 2025 NFL Draft, McLaughlin hasn't had much of an opportunity to showcase what he can do. He spent last season on the Bengals practice squad but didn't get a chance to make his NFL debut. After signing a reserve/future contract with the Lions, McLaughlin has been getting a real chance for the first time.
In college, McLaughlin was one of the best interior offensive linemen in the country. He won the Rimington Trophy, awarded to the best center in the nation, in his final year at Ohio State. So, the talent is clearly there, but the 24-year-old has to show that he is fully recovered and back to his pre-injury self.
The preseason finale against the Colts will be McLaughlin's last chance to carve out a role for himself. He is currently firmly on the roster bubble. It looks like he has lost the starting job to Juice Scruggs, but he may still be holding onto the backup center spot, especially after Michael Niese suffered a serious knee injury against the Commanders.
But the Lions may prefer to have McLaughlin on the practice squad instead. They have been giving Tate Ratledge some reps at center in training camp, so they could just rely on him as an emergency backup if Scruggs were to suffer an injury. This would mean a bigger shakeup on the offensive line, so it might not be preferable, but the Lions may not have another choice if McLaughlin doesn't show more on Saturday.
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