The Detroit Lions had plenty of injuries that cost their franchise in 2025, but arguably the biggest turned out to be from tight end Sam LaPorta.
LaPorta started the season hot before a back injury shut him down this past November. A subsequent surgery meant that he would no longer get a chance to impact the offense in his customary way. Detroit suffered greatly as a result.
Thankfully, LaPorta is looking healthy and slated to return to the field. Word has come down that he is good to go for training camp and fully cleared. That means he will not need to miss any additional time recovering or trying to ease his way back and can hit the ground running ahead of this season.
That is a very important fact for the Lions, because they missed LaPorta dearly when he was out. Nothing may prove that more than a fantastic stat provided by The Pat McAfee Show's Evan Fox.
As Fox revealed, the Lions are fairly unbeatable with LaPorta in the lineup:
"Quick Sam LaPorta stat. When he's on the field, the Lions are 32-10; when he's off the field,(they're) 4-5 without him. He is an absolute X factor for this offense (and) for Jared Goff. He blocks, he catches, he does everything. He's been fantastic."
Amazing stat shows how important Sam LaPorta's return is for the Detroit Lions
With LaPorta, the Lions are significantly above the .500 mark. Without him, they are underwater. That's as good a reason as any for fans to be encouraged about the trajectory of the team as well as the offense when he gets back in the mix. It's even better news that he will have training camp to knock off the rust and get his body ready for the regular season.
LaPorta was a true difference-maker and well on the way to a strong third pro campaign before getting hurt. He was tied for fifth among TEs in receiving yards (489) through Week 10. The 2023 second-round pick also posted a superb 81.6 percent catch rate, good for fourth out of the qualified options at his position.
Having a sure-handed playmaker who's dangerous with or without the ball in his hands, like LaPorta, at full strength cannot be overstated. He's a well-rounded contributor who can impact winning in several ways. Detroit ought to be eager to reintegrate him into the game plan.
Lions' TEs coach Steve Oliver understands importance of LaPorta's return to offense
If there's one person who understands what LaPorta means to the offense more than most casual observers, it's Steve Oliver, Detroit's tight ends coach. As he admitted, LaPorta is the straw that stirs the drink for not only the tight end room, but the Lions' offense as a whole.
As Oliver said, while Detroit's other tight ends do a decent job of holding down the fort and did so in 2025, there is simply no substitute for what LaPorta brings to the table across the board when he is healthy and engaged, since he is a notch above.
"Sam (LaPorta), you can always tell, he's a difference maker when he's on the field," Oliver said during minicamp. "Run game, pass game, pass protection, all three facets. I think Brock (Wright) did a great job stepping up. (We were) putting guys in positions that (we) had to at the time. You definitely noticed Sam's absence because of the impact player he is. We'll definitely be excited to get him back out there."
The Lions need as many elite players as possible in the mix to forge their comeback this season. Offensively, LaPorta is a notch above at tight end, so his return alone could quietly mean a return to the level of winning Detroit has enjoyed in the last few seasons.
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