Sep 12, 2026, 10:24 AM ET

Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta had his 2025 campaign cut short after he suffered a season-ending back injury in Week 10. However, the 25-year-old is back to full health entering 2026 and profiles as a key piece in the potentially potent Lions passing attack. In Week 1, the Lions will host the New Orleans Saints. New Orleans fielded a strong pass defense in 2025, allowing the fifth-fewest total passing yards (3,336) and 12th-fewest yards per pass attempt (6.8) in the NFL. However, the team lost a key piece of its coverage unit against tight ends in linebacker Demario Davis, who signed with the New York Jets in free agency. Now that he's healthy, LaPorta has a chance to reclaim his status as the number two option in the Lions' passing game behind star wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown. All in all, LaPorta profiles as a solid TE1 option for fantasy managers in Week 1.--Will Brady
Source: RotoBaller

Sep 3, 2026, 4:25 PM ET

Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta's 2025 campaign came to a premature end after he suffered a back injury in Week 10 that ultimately required season-ending surgery. The 25-year-old was productive before getting hurt, recording 40 catches for 489 yards and three touchdowns on 49 targets across nine games played. LaPorta gave fantasy managers a scare when he suffered a hip injury that caused him to miss some time this summer. However, the young tight end was able to return to practice and looks to be on track to start the regular season fully healthy. Between wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, as well as running back Jahmyr Gibbs, LaPorta faces plenty of target competition in Detroit. Still, the Lions enter the year with questions on defense and a new-look offensive line, both of which could force them to turn to the air early and often in 2026. As long as LaPorta remains healthy, he could be poised for a bounce-back season.--Will Brady
Source: RotoBaller

Aug 25, 2026, 3:42 PM ET

Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta (hip) returned to practice Tuesday, according to Richard Silva. LaPorta had been sidelined since last week after taking a hit to the hip that caused the issue to flare up. Head coach Dan Campbell said Thursday that Detroit felt good about LaPorta's long-term outlook but couldn't guarantee he would be ready for Week 1. Getting him back onto the field five days later is an encouraging development, though his level of participation Tuesday was not immediately clear. LaPorta was limited to nine games last season, catching 40 passes for 489 yards and three touchdowns. His return doesn't lock in his status for the opener, but it moves things in a much better direction after Detroit spent the end of last week resting him.--Bruno Mulé
Source: Richard Silva

Aug 23, 2026, 1:13 PM ET

Detroit Lions tight end Jackson Meeks led his team in receiving yards in preseason action on Saturday, recording four catches for 33 yards on six targets. Meeks spent most of his rookie season in 2025 on the Lions' practice squad, appearing in two games but failing to record a single target. A college wide receiver, Meeks has made the transition to tight end ahead of his second NFL campaign. With star Lions tight end Sam LaPorta (hip) battling a hip injury that could cause him to miss regular-season time, Meeks could have a chance to step into a more prominent role. Detroit has a pair of proven veteran tight ends in Brock Wright and Tyler Conklin, so Meeks may still be a long shot to make the team's 53-man roster coming out of the preseason. Still, the young tight end convert could be a name to watch in deeper leagues.--Will Brady
Source: ESPN.com

Aug 20, 2026, 12:57 PM ET

Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta (hip) is dealing with a hip injury he picked up earlier this week, according to Nolan Bianchi. LaPorta was not practicing Thursday, though head coach Dan Campbell said he doesn't think the issue will threaten the start of his season. Campbell stopped short of guaranteeing that, however. LaPorta was limited to nine games last year after a back injury eventually required surgery, finishing with 40 catches for 489 yards and three touchdowns. He spent the offseason rehabbing but was back to full participation when Detroit opened training camp in late July. The new hip issue interrupts what had otherwise been a healthy summer for the fourth-year tight end. Campbell's initial outlook is a positive one for fantasy managers, but LaPorta's progress over the next couple of weeks will determine whether that holds.--Bruno Mulé
Source: Nolan Bianchi

Aug 19, 2026, 5:50 PM ET

Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta (undisclosed) was not present at Wednesday's training camp practice due to an undisclosed injury, according to Jeremy Reisman of Pride of Detroit. Reisman writes that there is no word yet on the nature of LaPorta's injury after he worked all offseason to rehab from back surgery that limited him to nine games in 2025. Fantasy managers should be worried if LaPorta's absence on Wednesday is related to his back. But for now, we will consider him day-to-day. After recovering from back surgery, the former second-rounder in 2023 from Iowa has been excellent in training camp practices to this point and could easily bounce back to being a high-end pass-catching TE for fantasy managers in 2026. RotoBaller currently has LaPorta ranked as the No. 6 fantasy option at the position, behind Brock Bowers, Trey McBride, Colston Loveland, Tyler Warren, and Tucker Kraft. He is a fine target at TE if you do not want to spend top dollar at the position. Don't forget that LaPorta burst onto the NFL scene in his first two years in the league with 146 receptions (203 targets) for 1,615 yards and 17 total touchdowns.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Pride of Detroit - Jeremy Reisman

Aug 12, 2026, 9:49 AM ET

Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta missed the final eight games of 2025 with a herniated disc in his back, but once again healthy and unencumbered, he's made his presence felt throughout training camp, with senior team writer Tim Twentyman noting that he's reminded the team just how much he was missed to end the year. A day after quarterback Jared Goff called him a "stud" while speaking with the media, the two connected on back-to-back plays during a competitive portion of Tuesday's practice, following a big gain down the seam with a nine-yard touchdown. LaPorta was the TE1 as a rookie in 2023, and after a quieter second season, he was pacing as the TE7 through his first nine games of 2025. With a major role projected in Drew Petzing's tight end-friendly offense, he is RotoBaller's TE6 for 2026.--Patrick McGrath
Source: Tim Twentyman

Aug 1, 2026, 7:29 PM ET

Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta (back) has been deemed fully healthy at the start of training camp and is set to take on a large role in the Lions' offense, according to Eric Woodyard of ESPN. The 25-year-old had a disappointing Year 3 in the NFL, appearing in just nine games due to a herniated disc. However, not only is the Iowa product a full-go, but he is also set to play a large role in the offense under newly-tabbed offensive coordinator Drew Petzing. The tight end enjoyed a breakout campaign as a rookie, catching 10 touchdowns and totaling an impressive 889 yards. As a sophomore, LaPorta saw his production take a slight dip, but was still productive, scoring seven touchdowns with 726 yards. While the Detroit offense is crowded, LaPorta figures to be a primary option and is poised for a bounce-back with a clean bill of health.--Andy Smith
Source: Eric Woodyard

Jul 31, 2026, 10:49 AM ET

The Detroit Lions have signed veteran tight end Anthony Firkser following his release from the Commanders on Wednesday, according to NFL Insider Adam Schefter. An undrafted free agent in 2017, Firkser has played for five different teams across eight professional seasons, appearing in seven games for the Lions in 2025, which marked his second stint with the team. Tasked with an expanded role in the wake of Sam LaPorta's move to injured reserve, Firkser caught eight passes for 53 yards but could be tabbed for more special teams responsibilities in 2026. He joins a Lions depth chart of LaPorta, Brock Wright, and Tyler Conklin and will be looking to earn one of the final spots on the Lions' 53-man roster.--Patrick McGrath
Source: Adam Schefter

Jul 30, 2026, 11:29 PM ET

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell said "it's pretty exciting" when discussing the status of tight end Sam LaPorta (back) as he works his way towards a return from back surgery, per Colton Pouncy of The Athletic. Pouncy reports that Campbell said LaPorta is "ready to go" and "a big piece of our offense." LaPorta recorded 40 catches for 489 yards and three touchdowns on 49 targets across nine games last season before suffering a season-ending back injury. The 25-year-old has proven he has high-end fantasy TE1 upside when healthy, as he recorded over 1,600 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns across his first two NFL seasons in 2023 and 2024. While the back injury and the Lions' deep core of talented pass-catchers are both potential limiting factors for LaPorta's fantasy value, it appears as though Detroit is encouraged by their tight end's status at the start of training camp. RotoBaller currently ranks LaPorta as the TE8 for redraft leagues.--Will Brady
Source: The Athletic - Colton Pouncy

Jul 21, 2026, 8:05 PM ET

Detroit Lions Pro Bowl tight end Sam LaPorta (back) was fully cleared earlier this month and will be ready to go for the start of training camp, a source told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. The Lions will determine LaPorta's level of involvement early in camp, but he's expected to be a full-go after having surgery to fix a herniated disc in his back last year that limited him to only nine starts and a 40-489-3 line in his third year in the league. The 25-year-old former second-rounder in 2023 out of the University of Iowa was limited during offseason workouts, but as long as he doesn't suffer a setback with his back in camp, he'll be ready to roll for the 2026 regular-season opener and should once again be a key cog in Detroit's pass-happy offense. And because of his season-ending back injury a year ago, he's heading into the summer as an underrated TE1 in fantasy. Don't forget that LaPorta recorded 146 receptions on 203 targets for 1,615 yards and 17 touchdowns in 33 regular-season games in his first two years in the league. LaPorta is shaping up as a potential TE1 steal in drafts at his pre-camp ADP.--Keith Hernandez
Source: ESPN.com - Jeremy Fowler

Jul 21, 2026, 10:01 AM ET

With the continued emphasis being put on heavy personnel usage ahead of the 2026 fantasy season, a player flying surprisingly under the radar is Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta. In a relatively small sample size over the past two seasons, LaPorta has been the league's highest-scoring fantasy tight end on a per-route basis out of multi-tight end sets, and a new-look Lions offense should provide him plenty of opportunities to prove it's more than a fluke. With the Cardinals in 2025, new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing used an additional tight end at a higher rate than all but two current playcallers. With LaPorta's season lasting only nine games before a herniated disc in his back sidelined him for the rest of the year, it's easy to forget that he finished as the TE4 in three of his final four fully healthy games and was the TE7 at the time he hit injured reserve. The fourth-year veteran now finds himself in an offense seemingly built to take advantage of his catch-and-run abilities, and he could prove to be a difference-maker from the middle rounds of 2026 drafts.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

Jul 1, 2026, 11:31 PM ET

ESPN's Ben Solak thinks the Detroit Lions should trade tight end Sam LaPorta as they stare at upcoming big contract extensions for him, star running back Jahmyr Gibbs, and safety Brian Branch. The Lions are also carrying sizable second contracts at quarterback (Jared Goff), wide receiver (Amon-Ra St. Brown), edge rusher (Aidan Hutchinson), and offensive tackle (Penei Sewell). Gibbs is probably untouchable as one of the best dual-threat backs in the NFL. LaPorta had an eye-popping rookie season with 86 catches, 889 yards, and 10 touchdowns, but he's lost some volume in Detroit's passing attack as receiver Jameson Williams has developed into the team's WR2. In the last two years, LaPorta's 25% target per route fell to 19.7%, and Williams has produced more yards per target, yards per route, and explosive receptions per target. The 25-year-old former second-rounder is now the clear fourth target in an explosive Lions offense, which makes him somewhat expendable. Additionally, LaPorta isn't a very strong blocker. Solak predicts that the Carolina Panthers, a team that hasn't had a difference-making pass-catching tight end since Greg Olsen, could come calling if the Lions are willing to listen.--Keith Hernandez
Source: ESPN.com - Ben Solak

Jun 17, 2026, 2:57 PM ET

Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta (back) was a partial participant on the first day of mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, and head coach Dan Campbell said he could be cleared for the start of training camp in late July, according to Dave Birkett of The Detroit Free Press. "We like where he's going," Campbell said. "He's trending the right way." A herniated disc in his back limited the 25-year-old to just nine games in 2025, and he underwent surgery in November. LaPorta didn't take part in full-speed team drills in earlier offseason workouts this spring, but he's getting close to being a full-go for training camp this summer. The former second-round pick (34th overall) in 2023 out of the University of Iowa burst onto the scene in his rookie campaign and led all tight ends with 86 catches on 120 targets for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns in 17 games. He took a slight step back in Year 2 with a 60-726-7 line in 16 starts before catching just 40 passes for 489 yards and three scores last year. The offensive situation in Detroit hasn't changed much since LaPorta's strong rookie season, and with his price coming down after his injury in 2025, LaPorta is a potential TE1 value play in fantasy drafts as an obvious bounce-back candidate if he stays healthy. RotoBaller has him ranked as the No. 9 fantasy TE for 2026.--Keith Hernandez
Source: The Detroit Free Press - Dave Birkett