One of the tougher contracts to project before the start of the 2026 season is Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta. Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report expects him to be one of the higher-paid tight ends in the NFL, not quite the highest.
His projection came out to four years and $72M for the former second-round pick.
LaPorta has injury and production questions as he enters the last year of his rookie contract, which adds questions to the mix.
Detroit Lions Tight End Sam LaPorta Projected to Get $72M Extension
On paper, LaPorta has the age and contract that make him one of the best tight ends in the NFL to invest in. LaPorta has 2,104 yards and 20 touchdowns in his first three NFL seasons.
However, a lot of that is carried by 889 yards and ten touchdowns in his rookie season. He has not quite gotten back to that level.
LaPorta had 726 yards in his second year. He averaged a career-high 54.3 yards per game in his third NFL season. However, he had just 489 yards in nine games due to an injury. The injury has flared up at times during the preseason, and his status in Week 1 is currently uncertain.
If he is out in Week 1, he will not be out much longer than that. However, it still raises questions. His production has dropped in two straight years, and injury questions have lingered into two straight seasons.
He is going to be 25 years old, and he has production, but there are still questions.
LaPorta Will Attempt to Reset Tight End Market
At $18M per year, LaPorta would be the third highest-paid tight end in the NFL. The big question is whether or not he can push to be the highest-paid tight end. Kyle Pitts just signed an extension worth $17.67M per year. This is a floor for the Lions veteran.
Pitts is one year older and averaged 780 yards per season. LaPorta averages 852 yards per season. So, even with the injury questions, it will be hard to see him come in at just a touch more than Pitts.
At the same time, the only thing LaPorta has that can push him ahead of George Kittle and Trey McBride is age.
McBride makes $19M per year and is only three years older than LaPorta. Kittle is nine years older than LaPorta, but is one of the better tight ends in NFL history. So, his $19.1M per year makes sense, despite his age.
It puts LaPorta in a tough spot. He has to beat out Pitts, but beating out Kittle feels like a lot. So, the wiggle room is only $17.7M to $19.1M.
Beyond that, the Green Bay Packers have Tucker Kraft in a similar spot. LaPorta will want to beat Kraft, but the Lions will not want to pay LaPorta significantly more than their rival tight end with similar questions and production.
So, it might take until LaPorta is on the field and proving he is healthy during the season before the two sides work something out.
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