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LaPorta (knee) said that he was able to take reps during the portion of Thursday's practice that was closed to the media, and he's "optimistic" about his chances of playing in Sunday's wild-card game against the Rams, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.

After he wasn't spotted on the field with his healthy teammates in the media-access portion of Thursday's practice, LaPorta looked destined to be listed as a non-participant on the Lions' second consecutive injury report, but the rookie was apparently able to take part in some drills and route running behind the scenes. Though head coach Dan Campbell suggested earlier in the week that the tight end had only an outside shot to play in the postseason opener after suffering a bone bruise and hyperextended left knee in last Sunday's win over the Vikings, LaPorta seems to have made quicker progress in his recovery than anticipated. LaPorta is still likely to carry an injury designation into Sunday, and even if he does gain clearance to play, he acknowledged that he'll probably have to play with a brace on the injured knee to avoid further aggravation, per Bridget Condon of NFL Network.

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