Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta is bracing for the NFL’s hard business side.
LaPorta has been an important piece of the Lions’ offense since he was drafted in 2023. He is in the last year of his rookie contract and has been frustrated by the lack of extension talks. Appearing on the “Pardon My Take” podcast this week, LaPorta said he puts his body on the line for his team.
“I think the combination of getting your heartstrings twisted as well as the violent sport that we play … it’s disappointing … you go out there every week and you bear the risk of getting hurt,” he said.
“Like last year, whatever it was, Week 9, Week 10, I break my [expletive] back for the team. And then I’m going out there this year, and I’m balling, and maybe they’re just not showing the love.”
LaPorta suffered a herniated disc in the Lions’ Week 10 matchup against the Washington Commanders, which landed him on injured reserve. He said at the time that the injury stemmed from an accumulation of falls and hits throughout the season and had reached a point where surgery was the only option.
He said on the podcast that he had a microdiscectomy in November. His initial return was not a good barometer for his recovery because his teammates usually don’t hit at full speed during training camp. He said that after the first few live hits during the season, he felt confident he could take a hard hit, get back up, and keep playing.
LaPorta was drafted by the Lions out of Iowa with the 34th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. He set multiple franchise records in his rookie season: 86 catches, 889 receiving yards, and 10 touchdowns.
In 2024, he had 60 receptions for 726 yards and 7 TDs. He was on pace for another outstanding season in 2025, with 40 catches for 489 yards and 3 TDs, before his season was cut short.
Through 5 games this year, LaPorta has 27 receptions for 316 yards and 3 scores. Keeping that pace for a full season, he would easily break his own records with roughly 92 catches for 1,074 yards and 10 touchdowns.
He said he would keep control of what he does on the field and leave the rest to providence and his agent.
“I’m going to continue to be a pro, and I dish a lot of that to my agent, and he handles that great,” LaPorta said. “So I’m going to continue to go do my thing and ball out. And in three months, if I don’t get to wear the Honolulu Blue and play for the Lions anymore, it’s going to be all good. I’ll go get paid somewhere else. So, whatever.”
Sam LaPorta #87 of the Detroit Lions catches a pass for a touchdown during the second quarter on Commanders in the NFC Divisional Playoff at Ford Field in Detroit, Mich., on Jan. 18, 2025. (Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
LaPorta’s agency, JB Sports, represents some of the NFL’s premier players at the position, including San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (the highest-paid TE in the league); Tucker Kraft of the Green Bay Packers (the third-highest paid); Jake Ferguson of the Dallas Cowboys (ninth-highest paid); as well as Daniel Bellinger of the New York Giants; Noah Gray and Robert Tonyan of the Kansas City Chiefs; and Gunnar Helm of the Tennessee Titans, among others.
