In Detroit’s regular-season finale against the Minnesota Vikings, LaPorta hyperextended his knee and suffered a bone bruise.
On Monday, head coach Dan Campbell said there was an outside chance his rookie Pro Bowler could play, but LaPorta was more optimistic on Thursday about his chances.
Whether that optimism will lead to him being active remains to be seen, but for now, there’s a shot LaPorta will be on the field for the Lions’ first playoff game since 2016.
If so, it would be a major boon for the Lions, as LaPorta produced an NFL rookie-record 86 receptions to go with 889 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns.
The third-seeded Lions (12-5) kick off against the sixth-seeded Rams (10-7) at 8:15 p.m. ET on Sunday night.