Sam LaPorta Injury: Lions Unsure on Week 1

The Sam LaPorta injury is a hip, and Dan Campbell would not put Week 1 on the board. The Associated Press reported Thursday that Detroit's tight end is out after getting hit in the hip earlier in the week, and that Campbell is hopeful it will not linger into the season. "I feel like we'll be OK, but I don't know," Campbell said. CBS Sports, citing Tim Twentyman of the Lions' site and ESPN's Eric Woodyard, said Campbell would not commit to LaPorta being available for the Sept. 13 opener against the New Orleans Saints.

"He got hit in the hip and it flared up a little bit," Campbell told AP. "It's a little aggravated, but we feel good long term about him. We're resting for a little bit here and letting it calm down." MLive had the same quote before Thursday's practice and noted LaPorta was not spotted Wednesday after being fully cleared for camp following back surgery. The last time he was seen, MLive said, was Monday night's scrimmage, when he scored on a 20-plus-yard catch-and-run. Then the hip. Then rest.

Sam LaPorta injury, after the back surgery that already ate 2025

This is not a random camp ding on a healthy tight end. AP said LaPorta is coming off season-ending back surgery. He was limited to career lows last season: 40 receptions, 489 yards, three touchdowns in nine games. Detroit drafted him in the second round three years ago. As a rookie he made the Pro Bowl with 86 catches, 889 yards, and 10 touchdowns. Career line, per AP: 186 catches, 2,104 yards, 20 touchdowns. The Athletic's Colton Pouncy flagged the obvious: a hip issue now threatens the season opener after that back rehab was supposed to be the hard part.

Campbell is not calling it serious. He is also not calling it done. CBS Sports said the team wants to see how LaPorta responds to a few days of rest. That is the entire update. No MRI leak. No "he'll play Saturday." The Lions host the Washington Commanders in a preseason game this Saturday, AP noted, and LaPorta is not part of that sentence. August rest is how you protect a tight end you cannot replace. It is also how a Week 1 question gets louder every day he is not on the grass.

The Lions' other injuries do not make this easier

AP stacked more names onto Thursday. Cornerback Ennis Rakestraw left practice early and was evaluated for a lower-leg injury. Detroit drafted him in the second round in 2024; he has played eight games in two seasons. Safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph are already recovering from injuries. That is the defense. On offense, the Sam LaPorta injury is the one that changes Jared Goff's first-read math if it leaks into September. The Tyler Biadasz ACL news in Los Angeles is the reminder that camp joints do not wait for the regular-season injury report.

LaPorta himself saw this coming in a different way. AP recalled him saying last January, after the back, that he did not expect extension talks this offseason: "How are they going to extend me if I can't play football right now? I've got to get healthy." He got back to camp. He scored in the scrimmage. Then the hip flared. Campbell feels good long term. Week 1 vs. the Saints is the part he would not sign.

Sam LaPorta injury FAQ

What is the Sam LaPorta injury? A hip. Campbell told AP LaPorta got hit there in practice, it flared up, and Detroit is resting him. The coach feels good long term and would not label it serious.

Will Sam LaPorta play Week 1? Unknown. Campbell said, "I feel like we'll be OK, but I don't know," per AP. CBS Sports said he would not commit to the Sept. 13 opener vs. the Saints.

Is the Sam LaPorta injury related to his back surgery? Camp quotes have not tied them together. AP said he is coming off season-ending back surgery and was hurt in the hip this week after being cleared for training camp.