Sam LaPorta posted one of the greatest rookie tight end seasons in NFL history in 2023 and had hoped to build on that production heading into his second NFL campaign.
LaPorta had been quiet through the Detroit Lions‘ first two games, but Week 3 might’ve gone even worse. LaPorta suffered an injury during the second quarter of the Lions’ game against the Arizona Cardinals. What happened to LaPorta, and what’s his current injury status?
What Happened to Lions TE Sam LaPorta in Week 3?
The Lions scored their third touchdown of the day after calling a hook-and-ladder play that resulted in a lateral from WR Amon-Ra St. Brown to RB Jahmyr Gibbs.
Detroit went up 20-10 on the play, but LaPorta — who was blocking — appeared to get his right leg and/or ankle rolled up by a Cardinals defender.
#Lions with the perfectly executed hook and ladder…except for the end of the play when Sam LaPorta gets rolled up on. 🫤pic.twitter.com/NU9JMFjO95
— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) September 22, 2024
LaPorta was carted to the Lions’ locker room just before halftime.
There were less than 30 seconds after Detroit scored. Teams often send players with any injury severity to the locker room early when there’s little chance their offense will get the ball back.
LaPorta returned to Sunday’s game at the start of the third quarter. However, he limped off the field after a handful of snaps.
The Lions announced that LaPorta was questionable to return with an ankle injury.
After Detroit’s win, head coach Dan Campbell announced that LaPorta is dealing with a sprained ankle.
LaPorta caught both of his targets before 36 yards before leaving. He put up just six catches for 58 scoreless yards in Weeks 1 and 2.
Of course, that’s a far cry from LaPorta’s 2023 campaign, when he set the NFL record for receptions by a rookie tight end (86). LaPorta was a second-team All-Pro and finished third in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting after posting 889 yards and 10 touchdowns.
The Lions have two other tight ends — Brock Wright and Parker Hesse — on their 53-man roster. TEs James Mitchell and Shane Zylstra are on Detroit’s practice squad.