The Detroit Lions are fully focused on their upcoming Week 7 matchup against the Green Bay Packers, but they have abruptly found themselves dealing with some off-field drama thanks to tight end Sam LaPorta. In the buildup to this game, LaPorta made some eye-opening comments regarding his ongoing contract situation with the Lions.
It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that LaPorta is unhappy to have not gotten the sort of contract he is looking for from Detroit, but the team has bigger fish to fry right now when it comes to winning football games. Still, LaPorta’s situation is on the team’s radar at the very least, but according to one insider, it doesn’t sound like the front office is going to give the talented tight end what he is looking for anytime soon.
Lions Not in a Rush to Resolve Sam LaPorta Contract Issue
A second-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, LaPorta burst onto the scene as a rookie when he caught 86 passes for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns, which helped him earn Pro Bowl and All-Pro Second Team honors. LaPorta hasn’t since hit the heights he achieved that season, but he has remained an important part of Detroit’s offense.
Through five games this season, LaPorta has looked more like his rookie self, as he’s caught 27 passes for 316 yards and three touchdowns to this point. And yet, he is in the final year of his rookie contract, meaning he is perilously close to hitting the open market and potentially leaving for nothing.
As part of his tirade about his contract situation, LaPorta seemed to insinuate he’d be OK leaving Detroit and signing with a team that wants to pay him, although he later walked back his comments to an extent. Regardless of how he truly feels in that department, LaPorta obviously wants a new deal, but per NFL insider Jordan Schultz, it doesn’t sound like he will be getting one anytime soon.
“In speaking with several clubs around the NFL, it does feel like a situation where the Lions are most likely willing to let things play out,” Schultz said on “The Schultz Report.”
Should the Lions Give Sam LaPorta a Contract Extension?
LaPorta is one of the top tight ends in the NFL, and again, he’s a pivotal part of the team’s offense. He has every right to ask for a new contract, but from Detroit’s perspective, it also isn’t too hard to figure out why it hasn’t given him a new deal yet. The Lions have already heavily invested in several key pieces on offense, and it’s becoming increasingly clear that the defense needs to become a bigger focus from a roster-building perspective moving forward.
That doesn’t necessarily mean the team is going to let LaPorta walk in free agency, but this seems like a situation that will get resolved over the offseason. For now, the team is doing its best to get ready for a huge divisional matchup against the Green Bay Packers, with kickoff scheduled for 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Insider Gets Brutally Honest on Lions’ Sam LaPorta Contract Situation