Sam LaPorta’s season could be over.
Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell said Friday, Nov. 21, that LaPorta recently underwent back surgery and likely will miss the rest of the year.
“So look, Sam did have a procedure and he’s going to be out for a while,” Campbell said during his press conference in Allen Park. “A while. I think we would be fortunate to have a chance to get him back for the rest of the season, at some point. I think that’s very, very slim.”
LaPorta injured his back in the Lions’ Nov. 9 win over the Washington Commanders and missed last week’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Brock Wright played 49 of a possible 59 offensive snaps as the Lions’ No. 1 tight end in LaPorta’s absence and had two catches for 8 yards.
LaPorta is second on the Lions with 40 catches for 489 yards and three touchdowns and has been a key red-zone and third-down threat this year.
Lions TE depth chart
- Brock Wright
- Ross Dwelley
- Anthony Firkser (practice squad)
Along with Wright, the Lions have veteran Ross Dwelley on the roster at tight end, and Campbell said they likely will use practice squad tight end Anthony Firkser in this Sunday’s game against the New York Giants.
“Losing Sam hurts cause he’s a hell of a football player,” Campbell said. “He can do it all. Run block, obviously the receiver that you get, but yet we still got Brock and there’s things he can do, we got Ross Dwelley, we got Skip (swing tackle Dan Skipper). There’s a good chance we may bring (Firkser this week), and so we’ve got some versatility.”
LaPorta, who turns 25 in January, set a then-rookie record with 86 catches as a second-round pick out of Iowa in 2023.
He is eligible for a contract extension this offseason and considered one of the Lions’ core homegrown players.
“The good news is the procedure went really well, long-term,” Campbell said.
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Sam LaPorta injury update after Lions TE undergoes back surgery
