The Detroit Lions placed tight end Sam LaPorta on injured reserve due to a back injury, the team announced Saturday.
LaPorta will now miss at least four games until he’s eligible to be activated off IR.
He was unable to participate in Detroit’s practices on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday due to the injury before the team placed him on IR.
LaPorta’s upcoming absence is a tough blow to Detroit’s offense, especially considering how durable the 2023 Pro Bowler has been during his budding career. He’s only missed one game throughout his first three years in the NFL.
LaPorta appeared in all of the Lions’ first nine regular-season contests in 2025, ranking No. 2 on the team with 49 targets.
He hauled in 40 receptions for 489 yards and three touchdowns, operating as a consistent option for Jared Goff in Detroit’s passing attack. Lions quarterbacks owned a 134.2 passer rating when targeting LaPorta this year, according to Pro Football Focus.
In the meantime, Detroit will rely on Brock Wright to step in as its new top tight end.
Wright has already caught nine passes for 71 yards and two scores this year, earning praise from Lions head coach Dan Campbell on Friday.
“Brock’s a guy we don’t talk a lot about, but he’s the jack of all trades. He does everything for us: pass protect, run block, he can run some routes, he plays special teams,” Campbell said, per ESPN’s Eric Woodyard. “He’s one of the most dependable players we have on this team.”
Wright will have a tough test early, as the Lions are set to face off against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. The Eagles have allowed just 284 yards to tight ends this year, the third-best mark in the NFL (via Pro Football Reference).
Kickoff between Detroit and Philadelphia on Sunday is at 8:20 p.m. ET.
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