As the Detroit Lions prepared for a crucial Sunday Night Football matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, they received some devastating news. One of their most reliable offensive weapons, tight end Sam LaPorta, is heading to the sidelines, creating a major challenge for the team’s high-powered attack.
How Long Will Sam LaPorta’s Injury Sideline Him?
The issue emerged after the Lions’ 44-22 Week 10 victory over the Washington Commanders, a game where the third-year tight end caught five passes on five targets for 53 yards. Following the win, LaPorta popped up on the injury report with a back injury and did not practice all week. The situation became official Saturday, as the team placed him on injured reserve, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Lions placed TE Sam LaPorta on injured reserve due to his back injury, sidelining him a minimum of four games.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 15, 2025
As Schefter wrote, “Lions placed TE Sam LaPorta on injured reserve due to his back injury, sidelining him a minimum of four games.”
The four-game minimum absence means LaPorta is guaranteed to miss critical matchups against the New York Giants, Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys, and Los Angeles Rams.
Losing LaPorta is a significant blow to the Detroit offense, which ranked seventh in PFSN’s Offense Impact metric with an 85.8 grade. To this point in the season, he commanded the second-highest target share on the team at 18.6%, trailing only star wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown’s 31.2%.
His production has been stellar, with 40 catches on 49 targets for 489 yards and three touchdowns. His 40 catches and 489 yards rank second on the team, and his three touchdowns are third. Now, backup tight end Brock Wright will step into a more prominent role. In limited snaps without LaPorta, the Lions have also looked to wide receiver Jameson Williams more, who has seen a 25% target share in those situations.
Head coach Dan Campbell expressed his full trust in Wright on Friday, calling him one of the team’s most dependable players. “Brock’s a guy we don’t talk a lot about, but he’s the jack of all trades. He does everything for us: pass protect, run block, he can run some routes, he plays special teams,” Campbell said. “He’s one of the most dependable players we have on this team.”
Unfortunately for Detroit, the injury report doesn’t stop there. The Lions will also be without safety Kerby Joseph and cornerback Terrion Arnold against Philadelphia. With Campbell now calling the plays, Detroit must find a way to continue its offensive success without a key playmaker for at least the next four weeks.
