The Detroit Lions felt the absence of Sam LaPorta the moment the offense took the field Sunday night. With the young tight end placed on injured reserve because of a back injury, the Lions struggled to find rhythm in a 16-9 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, and it was pretty obvious how much they rely on their second-leading receiver.
What threw everyone off is how suddenly it all happened. LaPorta didn’t appear to suffer anything major against Washington the week before. No awkward fall, no grimace, nothing that screamed “back injury, out a month.” Yet he didn’t practice once during the week, and by Friday, the Lions shut him down for at least four games.
And after the loss? Dan Campbell didn’t sugarcoat a thing.
Campbell admitted the concern is legitimate. The plan is simple: hope the injury calms down, hope the back responds, and hope LaPorta can rejoin the lineup sometime after Week 15. But Campbell also made it clear there’s no real timeline, and no guarantee.
“We’re going to hope this thing calms down, and after those four games, we can get him back,” Campbell said following the game. “We’re taking this day-by-day, week-by-week. I’m hopeful, but I really don’t know.”
That’s about as honest—and as uncertain—as it gets.
For now, Detroit has to navigate a crucial stretch of the season without one of its most reliable weapons. And if Sunday was any indication, replacing Sam LaPorta is going to be a whole lot harder than anyone hoped.
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