The Detroit Lions got multiple extensions done this offseason, so watching them fail to reach an agreement with Sam LaPorta was somewhat surprising. He was coming off a major injury, but he was cleared for training camp and looked as sharp as ever.
Watching guys like Kyle Pitts and Tucker Kraft get big-money deals must've been even more frustrating for LaPorta. Even so, he put his head down, got to work, and balled out for the Lions through the first five weeks of the season.
That's why, now that talks have seemingly stalled, LaPorta is taking a business approach to the situation. In a recent appearance on 'Pardon My Take,' the star tight end put a ton of pressure on the Lions to get a deal done. Otherwise, he'll just leave.
Lions need to do right by Sam LaPorta
"You know, like last year, whatever it was, Week 9, Week 10, you know, I break my f*king 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," he said (h/t SleeperNFL). "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."
The fact that LaPorta is airing those comments in October should tell fans enough about how far apart the two parties are in those talks. That's a dangerous game to play with one of the premium players at the position.
Of course, the Lions can just franchise-tag him and extend Brian Branch before having to deal with his extension, but LaPorta is clearly fed up with the situation. The $17.5 million franchise tag could only make things worse, perhaps forcing him to threaten to hold out.
LaPorta suffered a complex back injury, but he's clearly back to full strength. In fact, he had his best game of the young season right before the bye week, torching the Arizona Cardinals for five catches, 88 yards, and one score. For the season, he's up to 27 catches on 37 targets for 316 yards and three touchdowns.
The Lions have one of the most stacked offenses in football, and they made sure to keep their core guys locked in for years to come this offseason. Jahmyr Gibbs and Jameson Williams both got paid, with one even resetting the market at the position.
Maybe they just don't see LaPorta as a pillar of their future, or perhaps they think they have all the leverage because of the franchise tag. That might be true to a degree, but again, it can only hurt their relationship with their star.
LaPorta is, by every objective and subjective measure, one of the best tight ends in football, and more than two dozen teams would be all over him if he were to become a free agent. This is unnecessary; just pay the man.
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