PHILADELPHIA -- Sam LaPorta’s back injury has caused the Detroit Lions to place the standout tight end on injured reserve.
LaPorta started the week with a new back injury listed on the practice report. Then the tight end failed to practice all week and was ruled out for the game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.
It’s a tough break for the Lions and LaPorta. The third-year tight end has been one of the team’s top targets over the last month. LaPorta had at least five catches in four of the previous five games, with all three of his touchdowns coming in that span.
He has 40 catches for 489 yards and three touchdowns on the year. Now, he’ll have to miss at least the next four games on injured reserve. The earliest LaPorta can return to action is against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 15.
Fellow Lions tight end Brock Wright remains questionable with an ankle injury. Wright was able to practice in a limited capacity on Thursday and Friday. If he’s able to go, Wright will be counted on for a key role. When Dan Campbell was asked about his trust in Wright, the Lions coach touched the ceiling above his head while addressing reporters.
“Brock’s a guy we don’t talk a lot about, but he’s the jack of all trades,” Campbell said Friday. “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.”
The Lions elevated wide receivers Tom Kennedy and Jackson Meeks from the practice squad for Sunday’s game in Philadelphia. Kennedy adds reliable depth in case rookie wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa is inactive. TeSlaa was added to the injury report on Saturday and is listed as questionable with an oblique injury.
Meeks’ addition for this game is an interesting one. The undrafted rookie has been splitting time between scout team receiver and working with the tight ends recently. Detroit signed veteran Anthony Firkser to its practice squad earlier this week. Firkser spent time with the team in 2023. And they have had Zach Horton on the practice squad all year.
But it’s Meeks to get the elevation and potential chance to see some work as TE3 and on special teams. Meeks has caught the team’s attention, and at 6-foot-2, 218 pounds, the Lions are trying something new with the young pass-catcher.
“We had to use him on some scout team tight end, and one day I watched him, he’s mixing it up with (Al-Quadin) Muhammad,” Campbell said of Meeks. “And you guys know what we think about Muhammad, the type of player he is -- especially in the run, setting edges and stuff -- and he kind of held his own. I’m not saying he (Meeks) won the rep, but he didn’t look like a fish out of water. It looked like, ‘Whoa, this is kind of natural for him.’
“He’s got some strength, he’s got some size, and we know the athlete. He’s a big athlete, he’s got length, can play strong ... Maybe there’s an H-back in there. There’s an athlete, so we’ll see. We’re just going to keep working with him. He works hard. Man, he works hard and he’s smart too.”
The Lions also released defensive lineman Pat O’Connor with an injury settlement and signed interior offensive lineman Michael Niese from the practice squad. Niese appeared in every game for the team last season in a special teams role.
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