Sam LaPorta's back is fixed — now can he reclaim TE1?

This time last year LaPorta looked like the safest tight end in fantasy football. Then a nagging back problem, built up from a string of falls and hits, finally gave out against Washington in Week 10 and turned into a fully herniated disc. What started as a possible short-term injured reserve stint turned into season-ending microdiscectomy surgery, and LaPorta finished 2025 with just 40 catches for 489 yards and 3 touchdowns across 9 games — a wildly disappointing follow-up to a Pro Bowl rookie year.

Adam Schefter put an exclamation point on it the next day, relaying ESPN colleague Jeff Fowler's reporting that LaPorta is fully cleared to participate when Lions training camp opens.

Back surgeries are scary for any athlete, but especially for a guy whose whole game is built on quick cuts and getting vertical against linebackers. Typical recovery windows for a microdiscectomy run 8 to 12 weeks, and LaPorta reportedly was only about 6 weeks removed from the procedure when he first talked about targeting a camp return — meaning this clearance came right on schedule, if not a touch ahead of it.

The stakes here go beyond one player's health. LaPorta was a second-round pick in 2023 who immediately became the best rookie tight end season in recent memory, racking up 186 catches, 2,104 yards and 20 touchdowns across 3 seasons with a Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro nod already on his resume. He was the overall TE1 as a rookie, and a fully healthy version of him slots right back into Jared Goff's offense as a top-5 fantasy option at the position.

For a Lions team that leaned on LaPorta as a security blanket in the middle of the field during their run to the top of the NFC, getting him back at full strength matters just as much for Detroit's offense as it does for anyone's fantasy roster. The real test starts when camp opens on July 28 and LaPorta has to actually take contact — clearance to participate is one hurdle, but proving the back holds up through a full training camp and preseason is the next one.