ALLEN PARK – It appears the Detroit Lions will have to continue their playoff chase without one of their most reliable offensive weapons.
Lions coach Dan Campbell shared that tight end Sam LaPorta underwent surgery this week to address his back injury, one that might cause him to miss the rest of the season.
“Sam did have a procedure, and he’s going to be out for a while,” Campbell told reporters Friday morning. “I think we would be fortunate to have a chance to get him back for the rest of the season. The good news is the procedure went really well.”
In the Lions’ Week 10 matchup against the Washington Commanders, LaPorta played 76% of available snaps (53) and caught all five of his targets for 53 yards. He didn’t appear to exit the game early due to injury, but in the days after the 44-22 victory, the Lions placed the one-time All-Pro tight end on injured reserve with the back issue.
Losing LaPorta is not only a blow to the Lions’ offense but also to the player himself, who was in the middle of a highly productive season. Along with being one of Jared Goff’s most trusted targets, LaPorta’s willingness as a blocker is something Detroit will sorely miss.
He’s sixth among all tight ends with 489 receiving yards and 14th with three touchdowns. Pro Football Focus ranks him as the league’s second-best tight end with an overall grade of 82.
With LaPorta potentially out for the rest of the season, Brock Wright will be the Lions’ starter moving forward. In the Lions’ 16-9 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 11, Wright caught just two of his seven targets for eight yards.
While it wasn’t his best showing, Campbell’s faith in Wright remains high, something he vocalized even before the performance.
“Brock’s the guy we don’t talk a lot about, but you know, he’s the jack of all trades, man,” Campbell said last week. “He does everything for us. Pass protect, run block, he can run some routes, he plays special teams like he’s one of the most dependable players we have on this team.
“And, at the end of the day, what you really need in the tight end position is versatility and smarts. And he’s got both of those. And he’s tough. So, he checks a lot of boxes of a well-rounded tight end. And so that is always going to make me feel a lot better, feel us offensively feel a lot better.”
Undrafted rookie Jackson Meeks, who has a 6-foot-2, 215-pound frame, has also begun practicing with the tight ends group since LaPorta went down.
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