Star Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta’s back injury will be one of the key health issues to watch for the franchise this offseason.
LaPorta was placed on injured reserve following Detroit’s Nov. 9 win over Washington and Lions head coach Dan Campbell would reveal to reporters shortly thereafter that LaPorta had undergone back surgery. In his end-of-season interview with reporters on Jan. 5, LaPorta said the injury was a herniated disc.
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LaPorta’s status for offseason activities and training camp are up in the air at this point. The outlook for LaPorta is uncertain given the nature of disc herniation surgery, though Lions head coach Dan Campbell said he is hopeful that Detroit has LaPorta back for its summer training camp.
Full analysis, timeline of LaPorta’s back injury: Visit Jimmy Liao’s full LaPorta injury analysis
For a comprehensive look at LaPorta’s injury situation, visit JimmyLiaoMD.com, but here’s a portion of my thoughts on LaPorta’s back injury situation entering the 2026 offseason:
The major takeaway here is that there was no chance he was going to return for the playoffs – the Super Bowl would be 3 months post surgery. It’s not even certain he’ll be ready for training camp which is 8 months post surgery.
The hope is that Campbell is overestimating the timeline and there are various reasons he might do so – purposely or not…
A full recovery for LaPorta is certainly possible, but the likelihood of that is uncertain. While the current information we have is minimal, there is no question that the back injury is significant. His status over the course of the offseason and training camp are going to be closely watched.
Maybe the most revelatory offseason event will be if LaPorta gets a contract extension as he enters the final year of his rookie deal. Actions speak louder than words. The Lions have much more knowledge of LaPorta’s health than will be revealed publicly, thus they will inform us how they feel about his prognosis by whether they give him an extension – along with the details of that extension (duration, guarantees, incentives). – Jimmy Liao MD
LaPorta ended his 2025 season starting nine games, catching 40 passes for 489 yards with three touchdowns.
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“I was gimpy. I was walking around like an 80-year-old man. And it just wasn’t getting better,» LaPorta said of his injury situation after the Commanders game in November.
«In my three years here. I’ve got hurt a couple of times. Never really in my athletic career have I missed significant time, so I’m fortunate for that. And God willing, I have a long, healthy career following this injury. But to have only played nine games this season, I was clearly disappointed. It was hard to watch my teammates play without me. … It was a learning curve, for sure. But I think we took some good out of it. And hopefully I’m going to move forward from here.»
In his three-year NFL career thus far, LaPorta has totaled 186 catches for 2,104 yards and 20 touchdowns. LaPorta was a Pro Bowler and a second-team All-Pro during his rookie season with the Lions in 2023.
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This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Examining Sam LaPorta’s injury status as Detroit Lions begin offseason
