The Detroit Lions are preparing to take on the New York Giants in NFL Week 12. The Lions are in third place in the NFC North, but the Green Bay Packers are right on their heels as we head into the final stretch of the regular season.
Unfortunately, the Lions are having to play without one of their best playmakers. Tight end Sam LaPorta was added to the injured reserve last week. With LaPorta out, the tight end spot in Detroit looks much less intimidating.
Who Are the Lions’ Other Tight End Options?
LaPorta was placed on IR due to a back injury that recently required surgery. While IR requires players to miss at least four games, LaPorta may not be able to return during this season.
If not, the team could simply try to get by without him until the postseason. Rushing LaPorta back could cause reinjury, and then the team would be without one of its best weapons in the postseason.
With the top option at tight end gone, let’s see who else Jared Goff has to work with:
Brock Wright
Brock Wright is in his fifth season with the Lions, so he knows what is expected. However, the veteran has never been much of a pass-catching threat.
In 2025, Wright played in all 10 games and had 11 catches for 79 yards and two scores. Wright’s best season as a receiver came back in 2022 when he caught 18 passes for 216 yards and four touchdowns. Wright has a 68.1 grade from the PFSN TE Impact rating this season.
Wright isn’t the ideal starter by any means, but he knows the system and can be effective in the red zone.
Ross Dwelley
Ross Dwelley is another tight end who has been around for a while. The tight end entered the league in 2018 as an undrafted free agent with the San Francisco 49ers.
Dwelley managed to carve out a role with the 49ers for six seasons, mostly as a blocker. The veteran spent 2024 with the Atlanta Falcons and was then added by Detroit back in September.
Dwelley has appeared in eight games for Detroit, but he’s only been targeted once and has yet to record a catch. Dwelley’s best season as a pass-catcher came back in 2020 when he caught 19 passes for 245 yards and one touchdown as a 49er.
Anthony Firkser and Zach Horton (Practice Squad)
If the Lions want a third option at tight end, they have two more options on the practice squad.
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Anthony Firkser is an experienced veteran who has actually been a productive pass-catcher in the past. Firkser has 115 catches for 1,207 yards and five touchdowns over his 69 career games with the Tennessee Titans and Atlanta Falcons.
Meanwhile, Zach Horton is a rookie undrafted free agent out of Indiana. Horton has yet to appear in the NFL, but he caught 21 passes for 189 yards and four touchdowns during his last season in college.
