Getty Image / Mike Mulholland
The Detroit Lions entered Week 18 with very little room to move in the NFC Playoff standings. They were pretty much locked into the third seed in the NFC Playoffs, barring a series of unfortunate events.
But, Lions management decided to play their starters regardless, and they paid for that dearly. Rookie star tight end Sam LaPorta was injured, and could be out for the rest of the season.
Oh no… Sam LaPorta’s leg got stuck in the turf. He’s down, hopefully nothing serious. pic.twitter.com/uAyKcHlfbA
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) January 7, 2024
That doesn’t look good at all. It appears that artificial turf has claimed another victim in the NFL.
After the game, Dan Campbell updated the public on the status of Sam LaPorta.
Lions HC Campbell on Sam LaPorta's knee injury:
"It's not as bad as it looked, but it's not good news. We'll know more tomorrow."
— Underdog NFL (@Underdog__NFL) January 7, 2024
LaPorta has hit the ground running as a rookie this year and has been one of the top tight ends in the league. The Iowa alum finished the season with 86 grabs for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns. That puts him second in every receiving category for the team, who captured their first NFC North title in league history this year.
The Lions beat the Vikings, 30-20, to improve to 12-5, their most wins in a season since 1991, and tied for the most in franchise history. They will likely play the Los Angeles Rams or Green Bay Packers in the NFC Wild Card Round next week at Ford Field in Detroit. If it is the Rams, that would mark the return of former franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford.
As for what they will do in LaPorta’s projected absence, it seems as if the team has a few different options. Brock Wright has been out injured, and Anthony Frisker and James Mitchell have been getting those snaps. They are also deep at wide receiver, and could use a lot more 10 personnel. I’m sure offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, one of the best in the league, will dial up some creative things.