Sam LaPorta out indefinitely with hip injury, leaving Lions weak at TE

Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta, who missed practice Wednesday, Aug. 19, is sidelined indefinitely after suffering a hip injury in practice earlier this week.

“It just flared up a little bit,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said Thursday in Allen Park. “It’s a little aggravated. But we feel good long-term about him. We’re just resting for a little bit here and letting it calm down.”

When asked if LaPorta’s availability at the beginning of the regular season could be threatened, Campbell said, “I don’t know. I feel like we’ll be OK. But I don’t know.”

The Lions' season opener is Sept. 13 against the New Orleans Saints at Ford Field.

LaPorta, who is in the final year of his rookie contract, missed the final eight games last year after suffering a herniated disc in November 2025. He underwent a microdiscectomy shortly thereafter. During his absence, the Lions went 3-5 and their scoring average dipped by almost seven points per game.

Following surgery, LaPorta made a full recovery and was cleared to practice by the start of training camp.

His return was seen as a boon.

“It'll be great to get him back,” Campbell said in July. “He's a big piece for our offense, he’s a weapon.”

For now, though, the Lions will have to carry on without LaPorta, as they did last season.

Brock Wright, Tyler Conklin and Jackson Meeks are among the reserve tight ends expected to fill in for LaPorta during his absence.

Conklin, who played at Central Michigan, is new to the roster this year after he signed in 2026 free agency. He is entering his ninth NFL season and fourth team.

Conklin, 31, played in 13 games last season for the Los Angeles Chargers, recording seven catches for 101 yards. In 2024 with the New York Jets, he had 51 catches for 449 yards and four touchdowns in 16 games.

Wright, 27, also got hurt last season after taking over the starting role, injuring his throat in November against the New York Giants. He missed the rest of the season after making 14 catches for 108 yards with two touchdowns in 11 games.

Meeks, 23, appeared in two games last season and did not record a stat.

Back in June, the Lions aimed to hold a competition at the left guard position that was occupied by Christian Mahogany last season.

But their best-laid plans went awry. Juice Scruggs, one of the linemen set to challenge Mahogany for the spot, is now working at center in place of injured starter Cade Mays.

Ben Bartch, meanwhile, has rarely practiced as a full participant. Sidelined the past two days, Bartch is currently in concussion protocol. It’s a major setback for Bartch, who was limited at the start of training camp while recovering from a Lisfranc foot injury suffered last season. Bartch, who was signed in March, was brought in to compete with Mahogany.

But Campbell said it’s unlikely Bartch will have a chance to wrest the starting job away from him when he gets back on the field.

“It’s hard to say that,” Campbell said. “It doesn’t mean he can’t. But that window is shrinking right now. The most important thing for him is to get to where he feels right again and to where he can go.”

Contact Rainer Sabin at rsabin@freepress.com. Follow him @RainerSabin on X.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Sam LaPorta out indefinitely with hip injury, leaving Lions weak at TE