Rookie TE Sam LaPorta suffered a knee injury in Week 18, and the outcome didn’t look good as he left the field against the Minnesota Vikings. Head coach Dan Campbell faced criticism for playing his starters when there was very little to gain for the Detroit Lions.
However, despite original concerns, there are some positive signs surrounding LaPorta’s potential status in the playoffs. With the Lions facing the Los Angeles Rams at home in the Wild Card round on Sunday night, could LaPorta be available?
Will Sam LaPorta Play Against the Rams?
Update 01/14/2024: LaPorta is officially active for the Lions game against the Rams.
LaPorta is officially questionable to play against the Rams after suffering a knee injury in Week 18. Although he’s questionable to be active, there is optimism about LaPorta’s potential to be involved.
The rookie tight end suffered a knee injury in the first half of the Lions’ final regular-season game against the Vikings. Ian Rapoport reported that LaPorta “suffered a hyperextended knee and a bone bruise.”
After missing practice on Wednesday and Thursday, LaPorta was registered as a full participant in Friday’s practice.
Ahead of that Friday practice session, Campbell said “LaPorta will run around today, so he’s feeling better.” He continued to say, “We’ll know much, much more after today’s practice, and then, entirely, what does it look like tomorrow when he wakes up?”
Speaking on his participation in Friday’s practice, Campbell went on to say “He’s gotten better every day. Every day. So we’re going to have him out there taking some practice reps and see where it goes.”
Despite not being listed as a participant in Thursday’s practice, LaPorta spoke to the media after the session, sporting a knee brace, saying he did manage to get some reps.
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“I got some reps today at practice, so I’m starting to feel better day by day,” LaPorta said. “Cause when it first happened it didn’t feel great, and I feel like I’ve started to bounce back quickly, so we’ll see.”
On how it would affect their game plan if LaPorta were to miss time, Campbell said, “You build a couple of different packages, one with and one without, and you’re ready for both. We’ve gotten enough reps of walkthrough to be able to adapt and adjust.”
It would be a boost to the Lions’ hopes of winning a playoff game for the first time since 1992 if he was available. LaPorta has proven a key weapon for Jared Goff in his rookie season. He had 86 receptions, 889 receiving yards, and 10 receiving touchdowns this season.
Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson knows how valuable it would be to get the tight end back. Speaking about if the other tight ends on the roster — Brock Wright and James Mitchell — can step up, Johnson shared, “LaPorta’s got a little bit different skill set than the rest of those guys, and really, frankly, with the rest of the league.”
The Lions’ OC added, “He’s awesome. So, if he can’t go, then those other guys, they’ll have to step up.”
If LaPorta is active for tonight’s game, he will take precautions. He told the media “I’ll probably play with the knee brace as a precautionary thing.”
Continuing to talk about the knee brace, LaPorta said, “I’m not sure how much it would inhibit me or practically keep it from happening again. That was a fluke thing.”
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