Lions head coach Dan Campbell said tight end Sam LaPorta is trending the right way heading into training camp after offseason rehab following surgery for a back issue that cost him time last season.
For Lions fans who spent the 2025 season worrying about Sam LaPorta’s health, Tuesday brought a different kind of update—one that sounds like progress, not caution.
LaPorta played just nine games last season, with a back issue placing him on injured reserve in mid-November. After surgery repaired the injury, he has been able to participate in walk-throughs during the offseason program. Outside of those sessions, he’s been working on the side.
Head coach Dan Campbell pointed to that rehab as the key reason for optimism as training camp approaches. “We like where he is going, he is trending the right way,” Campbell said Tuesday, via a transcript from the team.
That matters for more than just one player’s timeline. Detroit is implementing a new offense in 2026, and LaPorta is the kind of option the team will likely want ready as that transition begins—especially with him entering the final year of his rookie deal. He was a second-round pick in 2023.
LaPorta’s production in 2025 gives the Lions plenty to hope for if he can stay on the field. He finished 2025 with 40 receptions for 489 yards and three touchdowns in nine games. His rookie year came with bigger numbers: 86 receptions for 889 yards and 10 TDs. Then, in 2025 before the back issue cut his season short, he posted 60 receptions for 726 yards and seven touchdowns.
The sequence is simple: surgery followed by steady participation in walk-throughs. and now Campbell’s clear endorsement that LaPorta is heading toward training camp in the right direction. The Lions are building toward 2026. and for their tight end. the question moving forward is whether this “trending the right way” momentum turns into full availability when it counts.
Detroit Lions Dan Campbell Sam LaPorta training camp injured reserve back surgery 2026 offense tight end
Trending positively… sure, until camp hits and his back explodes again.
I mean he had surgery, so of course they say he’s trending the right way. Lions always sound confident right before someone gets hurt.
Wait, I thought he was done for the season? Like it says back issue cost him time last season, then it’s like he’s just walking through stuff?? That sounds like not really playing. I don’t trust “walk-throughs” as progress.
40 catches and 3 TDs in only nine games is pretty solid tho. If Detroit’s changing the offense in 2026 then yeah, LaPorta gotta be ready. But the dude’s back is always gonna be a thing, so I’m not holding my breath. Also, is this the same Sam LaPorta from that one highlight where he fell over in the end zone? I swear I remember that.