Lions place TE Sam LaPorta on IR with back injury ahead of NFC showdown with Eagles
Dan Campbell took over play-calling duties from offensive coordinator John Morton and sparked a 44-point outburst against the reeling Washington Commanders last week.
This week, Campbell will be tasked with setting offensive fireworks in Philadelphia against the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles — and without his second-leading receiver.
He'll have to get used to the absence of tight end Sam LaPorta, too, because the Lions placed him on injured reserve on Saturday, meaning he'll miss at least four games with his back injury.
LaPorta, a 2023 second-round pick, did not practice this week. He had pulled in at least five passes in four of the past five games, scoring all three of his touchdowns in that span.
Not only does the Iowa product rank second on the team with 489 receiving yards, but he's also second with 40 receptions on 49 targets.
LaPorta will be sidelined until at least Week 15, when the Lions head to Los Angeles to play the Rams. As for this week, Campbell expressed "sky-high" confidence in Detroit tight ends Brock Wright and Ross Dwelley.
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Of those two, Wright has had the bigger role this season. He's typically served as the Lions' No. 2 tight end and has logged nine catches, 71 receiving yards and 2 receiving touchdowns across the 6-3 Lions' nine games.
"Brock’s a guy we don’t talk a lot about, but he’s the jack-of-all-trades," Campbell said, via the Detroit Free Press.
"He does everything for us: Pass protect, run block, he can run some routes, he plays special teams. He’s one of the most dependable players we have on this team. And at the end of the day, what you really need in the tight end position is versatility and smarts, and he’s got both of those – and he’s tough."
LaPorta hit the ground running as soon as he got to Detroit. He earned second-team All-Pro honors as a rookie, and he caught 60 passes for 726 yards and 7 touchdowns last season.
LaPorta is one of several Lions players who will be out Sunday night against the Eagles. Perhaps most notably, Detroit will also be missing safety Kerby Joseph and cornerbacks Terrion Arnold and D.J. Reed.