The Detroit Lions will be without tight end Sam LaPorta for at least the next four games after placing him on injured reserve with a back injury on Saturday afternoon.
LaPorta was not spotted at practice or in the locker room all week. Lions coach Dan Campbell was not specific when asked about his injury on Friday, other than noting that he probably wouldn’t practice. The earliest LaPorta can return is Week 15 against the Rams.
The loss is a big one for Detroit, as LaPorta is a major contributor in both the run and passing game. Through nine games this season, he caught 40 passes for 489 yards and three touchdowns.
The Lions also chose not to activate several players who were eligible to come off of injured reserve lists for Sunday’s primetime game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Detroit on Saturday announced that defensive end Marcus Davenport, cornerback D.J. Reed (hamstring), linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez (knee), and offensive lineman Miles Frazier (knee) were not activated and were downgraded to out for the contest. All players were previously listed as questionable.
None of those moves comes as a surprise, except perhaps Rodriguez, who’s beginning to push up against the end of his 21-day acclimation window. Rodriguez must be added to the roster by Tuesday, Nov. 18, or be shut down for the rest of the year.
The Lions also added wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa to the game status report with an oblique injury; he is now questionable for Sunday’s game. The Lions will be shorthanded in the secondary, with Reed joining cornerback Terrion Arnold and All-Pro safety Kerby Joseph in their absence.
Defensive lineman Pat O’Connor, who was placed on injured reserve this week with a knee injury, was waived with an injury settlement.
To round out the roster for Sunday’s game against the Eagles, the Lions signed offensive lineman Michael Niese from the practice squad to the active roster and temporarily elevated wide receivers Tom Kennedy and Jackson Meeks from the practice squad.