LaPorta caught three of four targets for 44 yards in Sunday's 31-24 win over the Jets.
The fourth-year tight end had his quietest game of the season, as five different Lions saw at least three targets from Jared Goff on the afternoon. LaPorta has been a complementary piece of an offense dominated by Jahmyr Gibbs and Amon-Ra St. Brown in the early going, producing a 14-144-1 line on 19 targets through three contests. LaPorta will look to step up his numbers in Week 4 on the road against the Panthers.
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Lions' Sam LaPorta: Scores first TD of '26 in loss
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LaPorta brought in six of seven targets for 52 yards and a touchdown in the Lions' 41-31 loss to the Bills on Thursday.
The fourth-year tight end was one of Jared Goff's primary targets Thursday, finishing tied for second in receptions while checking in third in both receiving yards and targets. LaPorta also recorded his first touchdown catch of the season on a one-yard grab early in the fourth quarter, and over the first two games of the new campaign, he's encouragingly been targeted 15 times and parlayed those opportunities into 11 receptions for 100 yards and the TD. LaPorta should remain a key complementary option during a Week 3 home matchup against the Jets on Sunday, Sept. 27.
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Lions' Sam LaPorta: Five grabs in OT win over NO
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LaPorta caught five of eight targets for 48 yards in Sunday's 31-30 overtime win over the Saints.
The tight end finished second to Amon-Ra St. Brown in receiving yards on the day while tying Jahmyr Gibbs for second in catches. Back trouble limited LaPorta to just nine games in 2025, but his pace during those games would have resulted in a career-high 924 receiving yards, so staying healthy will be key to his fortunes this season. LaPorta will look to make a bigger impact in Week 2 on the road against the Bills.
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Lions' Sam LaPorta: Not listed on injury report
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LaPorta (hip) is not listed on the Lions' Week 1 injury report Wednesday, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.
LaPorta missed the Lions' final eight games last season with a back injury and then dealt with a hip issue this summer. He returned to practice in late August and is ready to go for Sunday's season opener against the Saints. LaPorta is expected to compete with Jameson Williams for targets behind alpha WR1 Amon-Ra St. Brown this season, and the tight end will likely be a big a presence in the red zone.
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Lions' Sam LaPorta: Sees no action in preseason
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LaPorta (hip) didn't play in any of the Lions' preseason contests.
LaPorta was rested in the team's exhibition opener, but a hip injury suffered in practice kept him on the sideline for the final two preseason games. He was able to return to drills as of Aug. 25, but it's unclear if he's put the issue behind him. LaPorta is entering the final year of his rookie contract, so he has every incentive to be as healthy as possible for a Week 1 matchup with the Saints on Sunday, Sept. 13.
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Lions' Sam LaPorta: Rested during exhibition opener
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LaPorta did not play in Thursday night's preseason opener against the Bengals.
LaPorta joined Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams in street clothes for the exhibition. LaPorta is looking for a bounce-back season in 2026 after battling a back issue that limited him to just nine regular-season contests last season. He's expected to slot in as the third or fourth option in this Detroit offense under new OC Drew Petzing.
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Lions' Sam LaPorta: Cleared for training camp
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LaPorta (herniated disc) was fully cleared earlier this month, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.
LaPorta was limited during OTAs and minicamp while rehabbing from back surgery, but now he's on track to participate in training camp with the expectation that he'll be available to work fully in the process, while his initial level of practice involvement will be determined by the Lions. As the coming season approaches, LaPorta is slated to remain on the fantasy radar as a key cog in Detroit's offense while working as the team's top pass-catching tight end. Prior to his injury, LaPorta logged a 40-489-3 line on 49 targets in nine regular-season contests in 2025.
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Lions' Sam LaPorta: Trending in right direction
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Coach Dan Campbell said that LaPorta (back), who was a partial participant in Tuesday's mandatory minicamp practice, could be cleared for the start of training camp next month, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports. "We like where he's going," Campbell said of the tight end Tuesday. "He's trending the right way."
LaPorta, who underwent surgery this past November to address a herniated disc in his back, hasn't taken part in full-speed team drills this spring. However, the tight end did work with the Lions' first-team offense during the 25-minute jog-through portion of Tuesday's session before working off to the side with a trainer during seven-on-seven and position drills. As LaPorta progresses toward working fully coming training camp, Birkett adds that the 2023 second-rounder is expected to sign a contract extension with Detroit at some point this summer. Prior to his injury, LaPorta recorded a 40/489/3 receiving line (on 49 targets) in nine regular-season contests in 2025.
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Lions' Sam LaPorta: Planning to be ready for camp
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LaPorta said Monday that he will enter the next phase of his rehab from back surgery this week and anticipates being fully cleared in advance of training camp, Richard Silva of The Detroit News reports.
The 24-year-old tight end ended up missing the Lions' final eight games of the season after he suffered a herniated disk in a Nov. 9 win over the Commanders. LaPorta said that he was initially hopeful to avoid a stint on injured reserve and return to action in 2-to-3 weeks after suffering the injury, but after further deliberation, he and the Lions decided that opting for surgery was the best long-term course of action. Six weeks removed from his procedure, LaPorta appears to be progressing as anticipated, and while he may not be ready to take contact in OTAs this spring, he expressed optimism that he'll be able to be "up, running around" during those workouts. LaPorta will be eligible for an extension when the new league year begins in March, and retaining the tight end on a long-term deal will likely be a priority for Detroit after he averaged 4.4 receptions and 50.1 receiving yards per game while scoring 20 total touchdowns in 42 appearances through his first three NFL seasons.
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Lions' Sam LaPorta: Still recovering from back surgery
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Coach Dan Campbell said Wednesday that LaPorta is "improving," but "he's not completely healed" from the back injury that forced him to injured reserve Nov. 15, Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News reports.
In the wake of LaPorta undergoing back surgery in mid-November, Campbell described the tight end's chances to return this season as "very, very slim," per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. As of this week with the Lions out of playoff contention, though, Campbell relayed that the team is hopeful LaPorta will be back by training camp in the summer, indicating his health concern was more serious than Detroit initially indicated. LaPorta, a 2023 second-round pick, will be entering the fourth and final year of his rookie contract in 2026.
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Lions' Sam LaPorta: Gets moved to IR
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The Lions placed LaPorta (back) on injured reserve Saturday.
LaPorta thus will miss at least the next four games due to the back injury that didn't allow him to practice this week before Detroit ruled him out for Week 11 action Friday. His next chance to play will be Sunday, Dec. 14 at the Rams. In the meantime, Brock Wright (ankle) and Ross Dwelley will handle TE duties for the Lions.
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Lions' Sam LaPorta: Not expected to practice Friday
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LaPorta (back) isn't expected to practice Friday, Ben Raven of MLive.com reports.
LaPorta hasn't practiced at all this week, which led reporters to ask Lions coach Dan Campbell on Friday about his trust in backup tight end Brock Wright. Campbell responded, "Sky high," but he didn't shut the door on the possibility of LaPorta playing Sunday against the Eagles. It remains to be seen how the Lions list LaPorta on their final injury report Friday afternoon.
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Lions' Sam LaPorta: DNP due to back injury
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LaPorta was a non-participant at Wednesday's practice due to a back injury.
Most Lions skill-position players take a back seat to RB Jahmyr Gibbs and WR Amon-Ra St. Brown in the pecking order for touches, but LaPorta still has put together a respectable 40-489-3 line on 49 targets through nine games this season. LaPorta will have two more opportunities to practice during Week 11 prep, but if he isn't able to participate Thursday or Friday, he could be at risk of missing his first contest of the campaign and second game overall in his two-plus years as a pro.
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Lions' Sam LaPorta: Perfect on five targets
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LaPorta recorded five receptions on five targets for 53 yards in Sunday's 44-22 win over the Commanders.
LaPorta finished third on the team in targets behind both Jameson Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown, though he still managed to record at least five catches for the fourth time in his last five games. LaPorta logged a pair of 14-yard catches to account for most of his production, and he's now topped 50 receiving yards four times in the same five-game span. He'll remain a consistent part of the Detroit offense, but his upside will be limited on many occasions by St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs.
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Lions' Sam LaPorta: Season-best effort in win
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LaPorta brought in six of eight targets for 97 yards and a touchdown in the Lions' 27-24 loss to the Vikings on Sunday.
LaPorta tied for the team lead in receiving yards with a total that was also a season-high figure, and he checked in second in both receptions and targets. The talented tight end also rang up his third touchdown of the season -- all which have come within the last four games -- on a 40-yard grab to close out the opening possession of the contest. LaPorta has a solid 35-436-3 receiving line and at least five catches in three of the past four games heading into a Week 10 road matchup against the Commanders.
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Lions' Sam LaPorta: Low volume on MNF
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LaPorta finished with three receptions on as many targets for 15 yards in Monday's 24-9 win over the Buccaneers.
LaPorta came out of Monday's primetime matchup with his worst receiving line of the season. The 24-year-old's targets and yardage both represented new lows in seven starts this year. LaPorta's dud comes on the heels of the tight end's best two fantasy outings in which he scored a touchdown apiece, so managers should hang tight through the Lions' upcoming bye week. Detroit resumes play against Minnesota on Sunday, Nov. 2 in Week 9.
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Lions' Sam LaPorta: Best performance of 2025
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LaPorta recorded five receptions on six targets for 92 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 37-24 win over the Bengals.
LaPorta made a quick impact in Sunday's blowout win, logging a 22-yard reception on the third play of the game before capping the drive with an athletic 10-yard catch and run that resulted in a touchdown. His longest gain of the day came early in the third quarter and went for 39 yards -- nearly entirely after the catch. LaPorta entered Sunday's contest having been held under 40 yards in three straight games, so his highest yardage total and first touchdown of the season came at a needed time.
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Lions' Sam LaPorta: Minimal production again
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LaPorta recorded three receptions on four targets for 39 yards in Sunday's 34-10 win over the Browns.
LaPorta remained a top priority in the Detroit offense -- he finished third on the team in targets behind only Amon-Ra St. Brown (seven) and Jameson Williams (eight) -- but he turned in another underwhelming performance. Despite logging a reception of 27 yards just before halftime, he now has less than 40 receiving yards in three of four games this season. LaPorta has also yet to score, with St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs instead dominating touches near the end zone.
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Lions' Sam LaPorta: Four catches in win
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LaPorta caught all four of his targets for 33 yards in Monday's 38-30 win over the Ravens.
LaPorta remained somewhat quiet Week 3, finishing third on the team in catches, targets and receiving yards. The tight end has still yet to find the end zone, though he's seen three red-zone targets over three games. Through three weeks, he's compiled 13 receptions (on 17 targets) for 138 yards. LaPorta will look to find pay dirt Week 4 against the Browns, who have allowed two touchdowns to tight ends so far this season.
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Lions' Sam LaPorta: Back to full strength
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LaPorta (undisclosed) wasn't listed on the Lions' practice estimate Wednesday.
Like most of the Lions' key players, LaPorta didn't play in the preseason, but he also tended to an undisclosed injury in mid-August. He's been back on the practice field since Aug. 19, though, and now is poised to resume his standing as the team's No. 1 TE, which equated to 60 catches (on 83 targets) for 726 yards and seven touchdowns in 16 regular-season games in 2024.
