The Detroit Lions were hit with some devastating injury news ahead of Sunday's Week 12 showdown with the New York Giants. Star tight end Sam LaPorta has undergone back surgery, according to head coach Dan Campbell (h/t @davebirkett), and his odds of returning to the Lions' lineup before the end of the 2025 NFL season are “very, very slim."
The Lions' tight end situation beyond LaPorta isn't ideal, so potentially losing him for the year could be disastrous. The Pro Bowl playmaker has been among Detroit's best pass-catchers this season, ranking second in receptions (40) and third in both receiving yards (489) and touchdowns (3) despite sitting out of last week with his back issue.
LaPorta's injury, regardless of how long he's out, will not only shake up the Lions' TE room, but potentially impact other offensive aspects.
Sam LaPorta's Injury Could Have Domino Effect on Lions
The natural response to seeing LaPorta's likely season-ending news is to wonder who will step up in his place.
After all, TE2 Brock Wright hasn't exactly been great as a pass-catcher or blocker this season, only catching 11 balls on 18 targets (61.1%) for 79 receiving yards and two touchdowns — on top of his 52.2 run block and 50.6 pass protection grades on Pro Football Focus. Considering how Wright allowed two pressures on only eight pass-blocking downs in LaPorta's absence last week, it's safe to say his playing time needs to be limited.
But even then, it's not like Ross Dwelley is ready for the spotlight either. The eighth-year TE might have a solid 71.9 pass protection grade, but he's only had four opportunities to impact that mark. He also has never been known to be a productive pass-catcher in his career, proven by his having only two catches on four targets for 17 yards since the start of the 2023 season.
With Shane Zylstra on the IR, Zach Horton and the recently returned Anthony Firkser are the only TEs on the Lions' roster (both practice squad members). Horton has yet to play in a regular-season game after being scooped up by Detroit as an undrafted rookie. And while the Lions are more familiar with Firkser, who spent part of the 2023 campaign in the Motor City, it's worth noting that he hasn't caught a pass (or even been targeted) since 2022.
It's also not like he's shown much as a blocker. The last year PFF credited him with more than 50 snaps as a blocker was back in 2021, when he posted a 55.2 grade as a run-blocker and 33.1 as a pass-blocker. The year before, those marks were 62.9 and 36.6, respectively, on 100 blocking snaps.
There's also veteran offensive lineman Dan Skipper, who could see more TE reps with LaPorta on the sidelines. PFF has Skipper listed as having played 192 inline tight end snaps throughout his career, which includes 20 this season. Considering how he's a better blocker than Detroit's TE options, it wouldn't be surprising if Campbell & Co. get creative with Skipper's usage.
RB, WR Rooms Will Also Feel the Impact
While LaPorta's absence will cause a lot of moving parts in the TE room, the Lions' running back and wideout situations could also be impacted by the injury news.
On Friday morning, veteran RB David Montgomery emphasized (h/t @E_Woodyard) that the running game is a major part of what the Lions are doing. But as fun as it is to watch Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs make fools of opposing defenses, the ground unit's work is going to be tougher without LaPorta. Not only will his blocking be missed, but opponents no longer have to worry about covering one of the best TEs in the league, allowing their linebackers to focus on the backfield instead.
Additionally, LaPorta's injury could also open the door for rookie WR Isaac TeSlaa to see more playing time. The first-year wideout's snap counts have been inconsistent in Year 1; however, he did play 33.9% of offensive opportunities (20 snaps) in Week 11, which is tied for his second-highest share of the season. If the Lions want to keep opponents on their toes in the middle of the field, TeSlaa's workload could expand.
It's clear that losing LaPorta isn't the same as losing any ordinary player. The ex-Iowa Hawkeye makes an impact each game in the passing and blocking departments, and he's also one of the Lions' leaders. Detroit's lineup is incomplete without him, and it'll be up to those who remain to step up and fill his void.
Hopefully, someone answers the call before it's too late. The Lions' season and playoff outlook will depend on it.