Dan Campbell gave his latest update on Sam LaPorta’s injury before the Detroit Lions host the Rams in the first round of the playoffs.
LaPorta injured his knee in the regular season finale against the Vikings and Lions fans have been holding their breath all week for updates.
During Wednesday’s briefing, Campbell said LaPorta is “getting better” but the team won’t get a reliable update on his condition until “probably Friday afternoon.”
“LaPorta is walking today, so he’s feeling better,”
Campbell said before answering questions.
The second question came back to LaPorta anyway.
“You said Sam was running around today. Will he play on Sunday? (Detroit Lions)”
“I’ll go back to what I said two days ago: after today’s training we will know a lot, and then tomorrow when he wakes up?”
Campbell said.
“I know this: he is getting better every day.”
The status of Detroit Lions Sam LaPorta remains unclear, but Coach Dan Campbell continues to offer interesting updates on the rookie weapon.
“He’s getting better,” Campbell said.
“I don’t expect we’ll know anything or feel like we have a really good picture until Friday afternoon. But every day we will do more with him. He’s getting better.”
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LaPorta suffered a sprained knee and hamstring in the team’s regular season finale against the Minnesota Vikings.
Initial reports looked like LaPorta would be out for at least one or two games, but Campbell left the door open for LaPorta to play all week in the NFC Wild Card game against the Los Angeles Rams.
After the Vikings game, he noted that they received more optimistic news than they expected, and on Monday he gave LaPorta a “slight” chance to play this week.
LaPorta has been an integral part of the Lions offense this season.
Samuel Joseph LaPorta (born January 12, 2001) is an American football player for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL).
He was selected by the Lions in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. With the Lions, he broke the NFL receiving record for a rookie tight end.
He also broke the franchise records for rookie receiving touchdowns, yards and receptions.
Sam LaPorta may have been hurt by manager Dan Campbell’s decision to play all of his starters in hopes of propelling his team into a playoff spot.
LaPorta limped off the field after injuring his left knee Sunday against Minnesota and was taken to the locker room on a stretcher.
“It doesn’t look bad, but it’s not good news,”
Campbell said after his team closed out the regular season with a 30-20 win over the Minnesota Vikings.
“I know it looks bad.”
Detroit is set to host the Los Angeles Rams and former Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford in the wild-card round of the playoffs on Sunday night.
“You’re either all in or you’re all out,”
Campbell said.
LaPorta had 86 catches, an NFL record for a rookie, surpassing Keith Jackson’s 81 receptions with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1988.
He had five receptions for 29 yards, including 2 touchdowns against the Vikings. LaPorta also tied the franchise record with three more sacks than Brandon Pettigrew in 2011.
He and Odell Beckham Jr. the two rookies in NFL history with fewer 86 catches and 10 touchdown receptions.
The Lions and Rams will kick off Sunday night on Local 4 News. Special coverage begins at 6:30 p.m.
Fans reacted as follows:
This could backfire badly, also if he even plays at what percentage his going to go out there???? 50%?? Just hope this guy doesn’t end up in a worst situation. He got entire career ahead of him.
— 🐏Jbon0990🐏 (@jbon0990) January 12, 2024
https://twitter.com/L3OPOLDSTOTCH/status/1745885772601774264
