Sam LaPorta expected to miss minimal time with an undisclosed injury

The Detroit Lions received more injury news that affects their offense on Thursday, as starting tight end Sam LaPorta didn't participate in Thursday's joint practice with the Miami Dolphins. Lions coach Dan Campbell didn't reveal what type of injury he suffered, leaving it undisclosed, but did mention that the tight end will miss a few days.

"LaPorta will be down. It's not major, but he will miss a little bit of time here," Campbell said.

It's still unclear if LaPorta will see any action in the preseason for the Lions, regardless of his injury. His injury won't have any impact on his status for the regular season.

The Lions are set to have two more preseason games on their schedule, both at home, starting with the Miami Dolphins on Saturday. Detroit will wrap up its 2025 preseason slate on August 23rd against the Houston Texans.

The Lions will open the 2025 NFL regular season on the road against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on September 7th.

LaPorta's career with the Lions

The Lions drafted the star tight end out of Iowa with the 34th pick in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. LaPorta is entering his third season with the Lions and has recorded 1,615 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns in two years with Detroit.

While LaPorta had a major impact on the Lions' offense last year, it was his rookie season where he made his presence known. In the 2023 season, which featured the Lions winning their first playoff win and division title in 30-plus years, LaPorta finished second on the team with 889 receiving yards and tied for the most touchdowns with 10.

Lions enter the 2025 season with doubters

Entering the 2025 season, the Lions are looking to once again be one of the best offenses in the league, but this time without former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who left to be the head coach of the Chicago Bears.

The Lions will begin a new era with offensive coordinator John Morton, who looks to lead a Detroit offense that has already received its fair share of criticism from doubters about the team's ability to be effective without Johnson.