One of the biggest injury issues the Detroit Lions endured in 2025 was the loss of tight end Sam LaPorta. Losing LaPorta was a big deal for Detroit, and their offense lagged behind when he was not on the field.
This year, LaPorta looks healthier, which figures to be a game-changer for Jared Goff and Detroit's passing attack. The interesting battle will be to see who is the second tight end for the Lions. This offseason, it seemed like Tyler Conklin was the answer.
Conklin signed as a free agent to beef up the room, and the thinking is he can be the second option behind LaPorta to provide blocking as well as pass catching. That may have hit a bit of a snag as training camp begins.
Dan Campbell revealed as practices got underway in Allen Park that Conklin was one of Detroit's players that would start off of the PUP list. As he explained, the injury isn't long-term in nature, and the team is simply being careful with Conklin given the fact that he was still on a tender calf from the spring.
"Conklin's going to probably be about two weeks, somewhere in there. He's running. He got a little calf (injury) back in the spring. We're hopeful. No setbacks. We're trying to be smart with him, but hopefully get him back as soon as possible so we can get some reps on him."
More than reps, Conklin needs to be present. The Lions have a solid player in Brock Wright waiting in the wings who has experience within the offense. Detroit might not have the luxury of waiting around to see if Conklin can provide them the spark they crave from a second tight end.
With the majority of early reps slotted to come his way, Wright could convince the Lions that he is ready to be the second tight end, and capable of shouldering a bigger load. Conklin's injury could have given him a perfect inroads at the right time.
Conklin offers a clear upside for Lions' tight end room this year
Why might Detroit be willing to exercise patience in this particular instance? Conklin offers them something they haven't had opposite of LaPorta arguably in his whole career in the form of quality, NFL-tested depth.
The Lions have seen their tight end production decline if not crater when LaPorta is forced to miss time. In the event that Conklin sticks around, this shouldn't be a problem. He has been productive in his career, and has already impressed Steve Oliver, Detroit's tight ends coach, during the short time he's been on the roster.
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"Conklin's the ultimate pro. Year nine coming in and he wants to be coached. He wants to get better every day. He's grasped the system really well and the guys in the room have been great (with him). He's been a great addition. I'm really excited to have him."
At this point, the biggest stumbling block for Conklin is health. The Lions need to see him come back and start to prove he can be the dependable veteran they assume he is. If he can't shake the injury quickly, it could mean a familiar face will be the leader in the clubhouse to line up next to LaPorta this fall.
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