It’s been 67 years since Detroit touched glory. Longer than the Super Bowl has been around. Since then? Just this strange kind of inherited pain that’s been passed down through Honolulu blue veins like a family curse. But here’s the wild part — this time, talent isn’t the issue. Jared Goff’s rebirth is no happy accident. Amon-Ra St. Brown is carving up the slot like it’s 2013. Julian Edelman in disguise.

And standing right in the middle of it all? Sam LaPorta — the Iowa superstar. The first tight end ever to start his career with back-to-back seasons of 600+ yards and 6+ touchdowns. Only three other tight ends in NFL history have ever stacked 1,500+ receiving yards and 15+ touchdowns across their first two years. And LaPorta’s already on that list.But just when it feels like everything’s finally lining up for the Lions… here comes the twisting turn.

Dan Campbell kept it short when asked about Sam LaPorta: “He’s got a little injury.” That’s a gut punch for Lions fans, considering what LaPorta’s done so far. His 146 catches? Most by any tight end through two seasons in NFL history. And heading into Year 3, he wasn’t slowing down. “Looking ahead to this year, just continue to polish things off in the run game and pass game,” LaPorta said. The questions are swirling. Afterall, what will be Lions without their deadly weapon on the field?

What makes this even tougher for Detroit is knowing they won’t have that unshakable mindset that he carries. “Start to see the game from the quarterback’s perspective,” he said. “Not just knowing what I’m doing on the field, but what other people are doing as well. Just seeing the big picture.” He’s seeing the game on a different level now. And when your QB and TE are reading the same defensive tells? That’s when drives stay alive and defenses start breaking.

Even Amon-Ra St. Brown, who sees LaPorta every day in practice, can feel the shift. “He’s making plays out there every day,” St. Brown said during OTAs. “He’s gonna have a big year.” The rest of the league is catching on, too. ESPN’s latest tight end rankings put LaPorta at No. 3 — only George Kittle and rookie sensation Brock Bowers are ahead of him. That means he’s jumped legends like Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews. But even the best players need a steady hand guiding the ship — and in Detroit, that captain is Dan Campbell.

Dan Campbell watch Amon-Ra St. Brown put on a show against Miami

The Lions and Dolphins took the field for a joint practice under clear skies on August 13, and the energy was high from the first whistle. Miami came in boasting the league’s fifth-best defense from last season, but Detroit didn’t blink. The Lions looked crisp early. Injuries have been a talking point for Dan Campbell lately, but Wednesday offered a reminder that Amon-Ra St. Brown is still very much the heartbeat of this offense. And if the Dolphins’ secondary was looking for an easy day. Well, they walked straight into St. Brown’s personal highlight reel.

Even Campbell admitted, nothing the star receiver does surprises him anymore. “I thought he was outstanding yesterday, and I think he can be even better.” From the very first rep, St. Brown sent a message that this was going to be his afternoon. Matched up against Dolphins corner Jack Jones, he burned him down the sideline for a clean touchdown. Hence, setting the tone for the rest of the session. St. Brown  was flat-out embarrassing defenders. In four 1-on-1 reps, he walked away with four wins and two touchdowns, leaving Miami’s DBs shaking their heads.

The dominance didn’t stop when the drills shifted. In 7-on-7s and full-team work, St. Brown kept piling on, double-digit catches and making the tough grabs look almost casual. The 25-year-old’s top moment came on a toe-tapping touchdown where he somehow pinned the ball against a defender’s helmet before coming down in bounds. It was the kind of play that makes you wonder if Miami will even bother reviewing the tape — because for them, this one might be better forgotten.