Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta has missed multiple practices this week after sustaining a hip injury, and now it’s unclear if he will be available when the Lions face the New Orleans Saints in week 1 of the NFL regular season, per ESPN.
Detroit’s head coach, Dan Campbell, explained on Thursday that, “It flared up a little bit, it’s a little aggravated. But we feel good long-term about him. We’ll rest him for a little bit here and letting it calm down.” That rest very well might include the first game of the regular season, as Campbell said “I don’t know. I feel like we’ll be OK, but I don’t know,” when asked about that possibility.
Sam LaPorta’s 2025 ended prematurely thanks to a herniated disc, and it’s possible his 2026 will begin late due to his hip. (Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)
LaPorta, 25, appeared in just nine games in 2025 thanks to a herniated disc in his back that ended his season early. He averaged a career-best 12.2 yards per reception with 40 receptions on 49 targets – fourth-most on the team even in just roughly half a season – with three touchdowns before the injury. And, after undergoing surgery to repair the issue, is expected to once again play a significant role in the Lions’ offense.
While it’s a short-term concern, Campbell has already said the long-term isn’t an issue for the Lions. Which means that LaPorta will still be expected to be central to the Lions’ offense in 2026, now run by new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing.
LaPorta was named to the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2023, thanks to what is still a career-best 889 receiving yards on 120 targets, in 17 games and 14 starts. Behind LaPorta on the tight end depth chart for Detroit are Brock Wright, Tyler Conklin and Jackson Meeks.
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Wright, 28, has spent his entire pro career with the Lions, and made eight starts in 2025 before a trachea injury saw him placed on injured reserve. Conklin was a fifth-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings in the 2018 NFL Draft, and has also played for the New York Jets and Los Angeles Chargers; the Lions are his third team in three years, and he lost his job as a starting tight end after five games in 2025 and was targeted just 10 times in 13 games, after averaging 58 receptions and 554 receiving yards from 2021-2024. Meeks has been shuffled back-and-forth between the practice and active roster for the Lions, and was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2025 – while he’s listed as a wide receiver, the 6-foot-2 wideout is also a backup tight end for Detroit.
