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ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Dan Campbell's new passing game coordinator, Mike Kafka, will be part of the NFL's accelerator program this offseason.

The 2025 NFL season for Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta came to a close after he underwent surgery to repair a herniated disc in his back, causing him to miss the final eight games of the campaign. The Lions ultimately finished with a 9-8 record, missing the NFL postseason for the first time since 2023.

However, the good news is that his rehabilitation has been progressing at an encouraging rate, and the Lions are expecting him to be ready and a full participant in Training Camp, which officially begins late next month at their training facility in Allen Park.

Detroit Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell Offers Encouraging Take On Tight End Sam LaPorta

Before Tuesday’s minicamp practice, Lions head coach Dan Campbell offered an optimistic take on LaPorta’s condition as Training Camp inches closer by the day.

“We like where he’s going,” Campbell said. “He’s trending the right way.”

According to Lions tight end coach Steve Oliver, LaPorta is nothing short of a difference maker when he’s on the field in game action, and the club was greatly affected by his absence in the second half of last season because of his injury.

“He’s a difference maker when he’s on the field,” Oliver said. “Run game. Pass game. Protection. All three facets. I think Brock did a great job stepping up and putting the guys in position. You definitely notice Sam’s absence because of the impactful player he is. We’re definitely excited to get him back out there.”

In the meantime, the Lions have Tyler Conklin, whom they signed in free agency, and Brock Wright as their top options at tight end behind LaPorta. The Lions also signed Miles Kitselman as an undrafted free agent out of Tennessee.

As far as his surgical procedure went, LaPorta described it as “unfortunate” and yet a necessary step toward his recovery.

“It was really unfortunate,” LaPorta said in January. “I was trying to look at the best possible outlook, and I was hoping to get back in that two-to-three-week range. In the days following the Commanders game, I was just in a lot of pain. I was walking around like an 80-year-old man and it just wasn’t getting any better. I felt like surgery was the best route and the team felt that way as well. Backs aren’t anything to mess with and I want a long healthy career. So, it was the best route.”

Is Lions Tight End Sam LaPorta A Fantasy Bust?

Despite the encouraging update from Campbell, Michael Fabiano of SI.com has listed LaPorta atop his ranking of potential fantasy busts for tight ends in the upcoming 2026 NFL season.

“LaPorta was seen as the most valuable tight end in fantasy football after posting an historic rookie season in which he led the position in points,” Fabiano wrote.

“Unfortunately, he’s rarely been the same player since. He dropped more than three points on his per-game average in 2024, and he was inconsistent in the nine games he played last season (without former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson) before missing the rest of the year with an injured back. He’ll remain a top-10 tight end in the draft due to the position’s lack of depth, but LaPorta is no longer an elite fantasy player.”