Sam

LaPorta

It’s a good sign. There’s no reason for the Lions to push LaPorta at this point after having surgery on his back in November. Detroit is taking the cautious approach with the 25-year-old tight end, holding him out of positional and team drills. Ideally, LaPorta will be ready for next month’s training camp.

This is great news. LaPorta was active for “about 30 minutes of walkthroughs to begin practice.” LaPorta is not yet ready to participate in positional drills and team drills, but this is still an important first step. Earlier today, Lions head coach Dan Campbell told reporters that the team is going to ask a lot of LaPorta this season. Hopefully, LaPorta is ready to go by the time training camp rolls around in July.

Campbell made an off-hand comment during an answer about RB Jahmyr Gibbs, saying the team will be asking a lot of their skill position players and included LaPorta in the list. While the 25-year-old tight end still isn’t practicing after undergoing back surgery in November, Campbell isn’t forgetting about him. His tone was a stark contrast to how he spoke about other injured players and that alone is a good sign for LaPorta’s recovery.

LaPorta underwent back surgery in November and is still in recovery. The Lions’ offseason program includes organized team activities and a mandatory minicamp, sporadically taking place from May 27th to June 17th. A prior report indicated that the Lions hope to have LaPorta on the field when training camp begins in July. That could still happen, though he may need to be eased in after the extended absence. Things appear to be on the right track for his regular season readiness, though.

Specifically, Petzing ran with much heavier personnel than the Lions are used to seeing and have run a lot of 13-personnel (three tight ends, one running back) since 2023. We doubt the Lions will go quite that big quite that often — that means one of Jameson Williams or Amon-Ra St. Brown is off the field — but we do think that Trey McBride’s success under Petzing generally augurs well for LaPorta in 2026. Of course, given that LaPorta (back) seems questionable for training camp after surgery, we don’t exactly know that the Lions will be able to pull this off. LaPorta seems like a boom-bust pick in Best Ball drafts from where we sit in January.

Campbell said LaPorta is “improving but yet, he’s not completely healed.” He would “like to believe” that LaPorta will be good to go for training camp, “but you’re talking about a back.” This is unfortunate. The talented, young tight end underwent surgery to correct the issue in November. We will continue providing updates on the matter throughout the offseason. Stay tuned.

LaPorta’s injury came as a bit of a surprise when it was first announced. Then he surprisingly landed on injured reserve last Saturday and has now more or less been ruled out for the season. Campbell confirmed on Friday that LaPorta underwent back surgery, which feels like another unexpected announcement for a player who looked perfectly fine the last time we saw him on a field in Week 10. If his season is over, LaPorta ends 2025 with a productive 40-489-3 line on 49 targets. LaPorta was on pace for a career-high 923 receiving yards before his injury, while the 92 targets he was on pace for would have narrowly topped his 2024 total (83). Assuming this isn’t an injury that lingers into the offseason, LaPorta will have plenty of upside as a high-end TE1 for fantasy managers in 2026.

The veteran tight end will now miss the next four games, at minimum, as he tends to a back injury. Fantasy managers got little notice of the injury, with the first time hearing about it occurring when he missed practice Wednesday. Things escalated quickly as he was ruled out for the team’s Week 11 game on Friday and placed on injured reserve Saturday. Brock Wright is listed as questionable against the Eagles for Sunday Night Football, but he would stand to benefit from LaPorta’s absence. Realistically, boost the volume expectation of Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams for the immediate future.

LaPorta was entirely unable to practice this week, which is concerning. The Lions also listed backup TE Brock Wright (ankle) as questionable to play after two limited sessions. Hopefully, LaPorta can return in time for the Lions’ Week 12 game against the Giants. His Week 11 absence adds a potential target or two to WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR Jameson Williams and RB Jahmyr Gibbs’ workloads.

Not good. LaPorta missing both of the first two days of practice this week has the feel of an absence ahead of Friday’s status update. Brock Wright (ankle, limited) would take his place in the lineup if LaPorta can’t go, but Wright isn’t much of a fantasy option.