Sam LaPorta's hip injury isn't just a Week 1 problem. It's the sign the Lions can't afford to ignore.
The Lions' star tight end is uncertain for the regular-season opener after suffering a hip injury. Coach Dan Campbell announced Thursday that LaPorta's availability is in question. That's the official line. But the context makes it worse: LaPorta is coming off season-ending back surgery. Now this.
The popular take will be to shrug it off. "It's only the opener." "Rest him." That logic is how a nagging injury becomes a lost season. The Lions know this. They can't pretend one game matters more than the rest of the season.
LaPorta is not a replaceable piece. He's the kind of tight end who forces defenses to account for the middle of the field. If he's out, the Lions' passing game loses its biggest matchup problem. No one in Detroit's tight end room does what he does. That's not alarmism. That's what the depth chart says.
And the hip is the wrong injury to rush. Hips heal on their own schedule. Push LaPorta back for Week 1 and he's not right, and the Lions aren't protecting their season. They're risking it.
The right move is to sit him if there's any doubt. That means Week 1 could look ugly without him. It's a better trade than losing him for November.
My verdict: the Lions should be fine for one game. The real risk is what comes after. This injury, stacked on last season's back surgery, is the story. The Lions need to treat it that way.