Sam LaPorta
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Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta opened up about his early career success in an interview with Fox 2's Dan Miller.
The Detroit Lions made a big move earlier this offseason when they traded running back David Montgomery, clearing the way for Jahmyr Gibbs to become the uncontested top tailback on the team.
One insider believes the Lions could consider a similar move in the passing game, moving one of the top targets for quarterback Jared Goff while his price is at its highest point.
Lions Could Scheme Up Trade Plans for Sam LaPorta
SI.com reporter Christian Booher addressed the team’s trade plans this week, saying he doesn’t believe they have plans to trade any more starters after moving Montgomery.
“I don’t think the Lions at this point have many players who would get a good return that they feel they need to move on from,” Booher wrote. “Obviously their stars would likely fetch massive returns, but I simply don’t think the team could thrive if they were to move on from any of them.”
Booher did identify one potential exception — tight end Sam LaPorta.
“If the team had any intentions of trading any of their starters, I think one possible option could be tight end Sam LaPorta,” Booher wrote. “One of the NFL’s best young tight ends when healthy, the only argument for a trade of LaPorta would be the fact that he’s entering the final year of his rookie deal and the team may not be able to afford a hefty contract extension.”
The Lions have preferred to build their roster through the NFL draft, so trading LaPorta could represent the chance to get more draft capital for what the team hopes is a rapid rebuild. The Lions struggled in 2025, watching their streak of NFC North titles come to an end after two as they failed to reach the postseason.
Lions Facing Difficult Financial Decisions
The Lions have several core players nearing the time for a contract extension, and the team may not have the resources to keep all of them. Booher suggested that the time could be right to trade LaPorta, especially if the team has lingering concerns about his season-ending injury from 2025 and whether they’ll be willing to dish out the big money he will get once his rookie contract expires.
“He’s also coming off a season-ending injury a year ago, and there could be concerns about his health in this scenario,” Booher wrote. “Again, I would put those odds extremely low, but if there’s a player the Lions could fetch an adequate return for that they could part with, a player like LaPorta could fit that bill.”
The team’s depth chart at tight end could complicate any trade ideas. LaPorta is by far the team’s strongest producer among the tight end group, with the rest of the depth chart collectively struggling after his season-ending injury.
Brock Wright was the only other tight end to top 100 total yards on the season. Wright finished with 14 receptions for 108 yards and two touchdowns — the only touchdowns for the entire tight end group outside of LaPorta for the entire season.
LaPorta managed to make 40 receptions for 489 yards and three touchdowns despite playing in just nine games before his injury.