The Detroit Lions have mandatory minicamp running from June 16 to June 17, which gives the team one last chance to practice before departing for training camp. The next couple of weeks will allow players to rest up, but ahead of that, head coach Dan Campbell gave a positive report on tight end Sam LaPorta.
When speaking to reporters, Campbell made it clear that the team believes there's a good chance that LaPorta will be ready for training camp.
"We like where he's going. He's trending the right way."
And with LaPorta going into the final year of his rookie deal, this is the update that you'd want to hear as a Lions fan.
Sam LaPorta is heading in the right direction for Lions
LaPorta's 2025 season was cut short due to a herniated disc and back surgery he suffered in Week 10. Back injuries are always tricky and can give a cause for concern, but it appears that LaPorta has had a nice rehab.
It sucks that he has to deal with this injury, especially since it impacts him at the negotiation table. But if LaPorta is healthy in 2026, he will have a chance to earn himself a nice payday. In 42 career games (39 starts), he has logged 186 catches (252 targets) for 2,104 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns.
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The Iowa product is a reliable option that can do some damage after the catch in the open field. In his first two seasons, LaPorta tallied 700-plus receiving yards and at least seven receiving touchdowns. He was on his way to posting similar numbers in 2025 before going down with the back injury.
Of course, time will tell, but the fact that Campbell expressed his optimism around LaPorta is promising. The Lions are looking to head back to the postseason in 2026, so having LaPorta ready to roll sometime during training camp will be huge. It will help him get back into football shape, in addition to getting valuable on-field reps in Drew Petzing's offense.
Detroit is a better team with LaPorta in the fold, and that isn't a secret. He will be extremely motivated to bounce back in 2026 and earn himself a nice payday. And the only way to get that is by being available to play football, and the Lions are comfortable he'll be back in the swing of things sooner rather than later.
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