The Detroit Lions got a tough update on Sam LaPorta just as the preseason is starting to sharpen the competition behind him.
On the eve of their second preseason game against the Washington Commanders, Lions coach Dan Campbell said LaPorta is out indefinitely with a hip injury. Campbell added on Thursday that the team feels good about LaPorta long-term, but it does not know how the injury will affect his availability for Detroit’s season opener against the New Orleans Saints on Sept. 13 at Ford Field.
It’s the kind of news the Lions would rather not be dealing with, especially after last season’s late setback. LaPorta missed the final eight games after suffering a herniated disc in November, and his absence hit Detroit hard as the team finished 9-8 and missed the postseason. Now the focus shifts to making sure another injury doesn’t throw the season off course.
LaPorta’s situation also puts an even brighter spotlight on the fight for the No. 2 tight end job. With the Lions wrapping up training camp and heading into their final two preseason games against the Commanders and the Indianapolis Colts, the battle is expected to tighten up.
Wright and Conklin are the names to watch. Both have a real shot at claiming the backup role, and what they do the rest of camp and in those two preseason games will go a long way toward deciding it.
Wright brings familiarity and experience as a returner for Detroit. In five seasons with the Lions as an undrafted tight end out of Notre Dame, he has 70 receptions for 632 yards and 11 touchdowns in 69 regular-season games.
Conklin brings a different kind of resume. The veteran tight end was a fifth-round pick in the 2018 draft out of Central Michigan and has already logged time with three teams: the Minnesota Vikings from 2018-2021, the New York Jets from 2022-2024, and the Los Angeles Chargers in 2025.
Across eight NFL seasons, Conklin has put up 270 receptions for 2,645 yards and 11 touchdowns in 127 regular-season games. That kind of experience and steadiness could be enough to make him the Lions’ second tight end.
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