Last Saturday, Detroit fans were hit with an update no one wanted to see: Sam LaPorta was placed on the injured reserve and would miss at least the next four games. While details are a little murky, we know LaPorta is dealing with some sort of back injury.
The news is devastating to the fan base as LaPorta has been growing into a key component of the offense. One could even say he’s quite the versatile player, unable to be replaced while he’s out. In Week 10 against the Washington Commanders, LaPorta was able to rake in 53 yards on five catches, in addition to blocking as needed. Not many skilled offensive players are able to act as a blocker to the high level he is, and his absence was felt against the Philadelphia Eagles during Sunday Night Football. Needless to say, Detroit is itching to get him back out there, but what does the timeline really look like?
Dan Campbell addressed this concern during the post-game press conference, expressing that he’s “hopeful”, however “really don’t know” when he’ll be returning. At this point, Campbell is taking things “day-to-day, week-to-week” and is hopeful things will calm down and their star tight end will be back. In the meantime, tight end Brock Wright will be stepping in to play and Detroit will be looking to get creative with playcalling to help fill that gap. On Sunday night against Philly, Wright was able to grab eight yards on two passes. Not quite LaPorta stats, but he’ll get there. Campbell is also playing with the roles on offense, filtering Jackson Meets, a wide receiver, in at tight end, as well as turning to veteran tight end Ross Dwelley, and a few backups on the practice squad if need be.
Hopefully for Detroit’s sake, LaPorta’s back heals quickly and he’s ready to return by the time those four weeks are up.
