Sam LaPorta is arguably one of the best pass-catching tight ends in the NFL.
He burst onto the scene in 2023 with 86 catches, 889 yards and 10 touchdowns. The Detroit Lions‘ top tight end followed that up with 60 catches for 726 yards and seven scores in Year 2, but he was bitten by the injury bug in 2025, and didn’t get on the field as much as he’d have liked.
LaPorta had 40 receptions for 489 yards and three touchdowns through nine games before a herniated disk suffered in Week 10 against the Commanders landed him on injured reserve. He underwent back surgery and missed the final eight games.
His abilities are undeniable. His current contract situation, though, is very much in question — and that’s why some analysts are creating “win-win” trade proposals that would send LaPorta packing.
NFL.com’s Trade Proposal Swaps Sam LaPorta for TE Ben Sinnott, Gives Lions Top 10 Pick in Upcoming Draft
GettyA new trade proposal swaps Washington Commanders tight end Ben Sinnott for Detroit Lions TE Sam LaPorta.
NFL.com’s Eric Edholm put together the following trade proposal:
- Commanders receive: 2026 1st-round pick (No. 17 overall), 2026 6th-round pick (No. 205 overall), TE Sam LaPorta
- Lions receive: 2026 1st-round pick (No. 7 overall), 2027 3rd-round pick, TE Ben Sinnott
“First off, I don’t think LaPorta will be traded,” Edholm wrote on March 30. “But it wouldn’t totally floor me if he was. LaPorta has been great, and losing him hurts Detroit’s offense, but the big picture must be considered: LaPorta is entering the final year of his rookie deal and is coming off back surgery.”
Here’s what’s at the crux of it all: the Lions are facing a looming financial crunch. Four cornerstone players from their prolific 2023 draft class — LaPorta, Jahmyr Gibbs, Jack Campbell and Brian Branch — will all be eligible for extensions soon. All four are expected to command market-setting money, and it’ll be an incredible feat if general manager Brad Holmes can get all four deals done. He likely cannot.
As for trade interest in LaPorta, he’d have no shortage of suitors.
“It’s not hard to imagine why the Commanders would want LaPorta, especially with David Blough (who was on Detroit’s practice squad LaPorta’s rookie season) calling plays,” Edholm added.
The Lions Likely Wouldn’t Make This Trade
Sinnott, a second-round pick (No. 53 overall) out of Kansas State in 2024, has produced very little in two NFL seasons. His combined stat line through 33 regular-season games is jarring: He has just 16 catches for 142 yards and a lone touchdown on 18 targets.
That said, his raw tools are intriguing. At 6-foot-4 and 247 pounds, Sinnott ran a 4.68-second 40-yard dash at the combine — unusual athleticism for a tight end. At Kansas State, he posted 82 catches for 1,138 yards and 10 touchdowns across three seasons and was a first-team All-Big 12 selection.
Still, this trade is highly unlikely. Sinnott would be a replacement piece in name only — his NFL production to date doesn’t come close to LaPorta’s, and the Lions would have to have their sights completely set on a specific player if they were move up in the draft this year. It’s also highly unlikely Detroit wants to part with one of Jared Goff’s favorite playmakers — or that he’d garner a first-round pick coming off injury.
Lions Trade Pitch Swaps Sam LaPorta for Young TE, Gives Detroit Top-10 Pick