Sam LaPorta's Week 1 status is uncertain right now. According to multiple reports from August 20, 2026, he's dealing with a hip injury that's threatening his availability for the season opener — the Lions themselves have said they "don't know" if it will impact Week 1 (from the Drew Petzing page, citing articles from Aug 20).
This is a separate issue from the back injury he was recovering from earlier in the offseason, which Dan Campbell had said was "trending the right way." If LaPorta misses time, the Lions would likely lean on their other tight ends in Drew Petzing's multi-TE system, and targets could shift to Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams.