Sam LaPorta

Target share sits in the high single digits for the season and trended down over his last month of usage (16% in his most recent outing), a product of a run-leaning offense that caps the overall passing pie.

A back issue cost him game time in 2025, and he managed a hip injury during 2026 training camp before returning to practice in late August — a recurring lower-body/back pattern worth tracking given TE workload.

He's playing out the final year of his rookie deal, and his second-contract leverage is tied directly to staying available and productive through 2026.

New OC Drew Petzing's scheme installation is a fresh variable that could expand LaPorta's route tree and red-zone usage beyond last year's modest target share.

Detroit's TE room behind him (Wright, Conklin, and younger camp arms) is pure depth, and the 2026 draft class added no competing TE capital, leaving his every-down role unthreatened.