Lions Free Agency: Anthony Firkser, TE Medical Report
The Lions shuffle a couple healthy tight ends
During the first week of training camp, the Lions brought back a familiar TE in Anthony Firkser, while simultaneously releasing a familiar TE in Zach Horton.
Does this say anything about the health of the current TE group which has Sam LaPorta recovering from microdiscectomy and Tyler Conklin dealing with a lingering calf strain?
Always a good thought, but in this case probably not a sign of anything concerning, since it was a swap of the same position.
The health comparison between Horton and Firkser is about even. Zach Horton missed some time in 2026 OTA which could have been a factor in his release, but was otherwise medically clean. Firkser (31) is also clean, but is significantly older than Horton (23).
Below is the medical report for Firkser. For a full breakdown of all the Lions free agents, visit Lions Free Agency Medical Reports.
Medical concern level ranges from 0 (no concern) to 10 (extreme).
(Ages in parentheses are at start of 2026 season and are factored into the concern level. Injury info and ages based on available public information and are unverified - subject to update. Games played data courtesy of sports-reference.com.)
Anthony Firkser, TE (31)
Medical Concern Level: 2/10
2025 (Lions): Played 7 games.
2024: 7 games
2023 (Lions): 5 games
2022: 11 games
2021: 15 games
2020: 17 games
2019: 18 games
2018: 12 games
Firkser has had a long, healthy career in the NFL. There are no reports of any significant injuries. The only minor concern is his age.
The Lions are very familiar with him since he has played for them in 2 of the past 3 seasons. He played in all 3 playoff games during the Lions epic 2023 season run to the NFC conference championship game. In 2025 with the Lions, Firkser logged 8 receptions for 53 yards.
If LaPorta has a recurrence of his spine issue or Conklin has setbacks with his calf, Firkser could end up playing important snaps for the Lions in 2026.
For the Lions complete tight end preview entering training camp…
Lions 2026 Training Camp Medical Preview: Tight End
The fate of the tight end room rests mostly upon the back (literally) of Sam LaPorta. If he can stay healthy, this is an excellent, well-rounded unit. If his spine flares up again, then the offense may need to substantially alter the tight end deployment strategy. The way the Lions handle LaPorta’s snap counts and usage will be intriguing to watch.