The Detroit Lions will likely have to make their Super Bowl run without one of their best offensive players. Coach Dan Campbell announced on Friday that tight end Sam LaPorta underwent a procedure this week for his back injury that will almost certainly end his season.
“Sam did have a procedure, and he’s going to be out for a while, a while,” Campbell said. “I think we would be fortunate to have a chance to get him back for the rest of the season at some point. I think that (chance) is very, very slim.”
LaPorta suffered the injury against the Washington Commanders and was placed on injured reserve the following week. He finishes the season with 40 catches for 489 yards and three touchdowns.
The Lions will have to replace LaPorta with a pretty thin bench of tight ends. Brock Wright has been the team’s No. 2 TE all season, and he has plenty of playing time, but the depth beyond that is a bit thin. The team recently added veteran Ross Dwelley, who has made eight game appearances for the Lions, but mostly on special teams. He’s logged just 51 offensive snaps this year. Campbell also indicated that they could elevate veteran Anthony Firkser from the practice squad as soon as this week. He was also quick to point out that they could use Dan Skipper in as a jumbo tight end to help out in what would normally be 12-personnel looks.
“We’ve still got Brock and there’s things he can do, we’ve got Ross Dwelley, we’ve got Skip,” Campbell said. “There’s a good chance we may bring Firk this week, Firkser. And so, we’ve got some versatility.”
Lions offensive coordinator John Morton said he’s welcoming the challenge of replacing a talented, versatile player like LaPorta.
“This gives everybody else some opportunities and then we have to be creative and that’s the fun part. We love that part game planning. I love this. Trying to figure out things and trying to create mismatches here and there,” Morton said.
As for LaPorta, Campbell made sure to note that the tight end’s long-term prognosis is good.
“The good news is the procedure went really well, long term.”
