After a season-ending back injury that required surgery, Detroit shared great news when the Lions announced that tight end Sam LaPorta had been cleared for training camp.
LaPorta, 25, burst onto the scene with a record-setting rookie season in 2023 that featured 86 grabs for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns. The Iowa alum has reeled in 186 passes for 2,104 yards and 20 scores across 42 regular-season games in three seasons.
As one of the rising star tight ends in the NFL, LaPorta is the latest player alongside Jahmyr Gibbs that Detroit is prioritizing getting a long-term deal done with.
LaPorta joined NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport from Detroit’s training camp to update his health and the status of his contract negotiations with the Lions.
“Yeah, we’ll see. It’s amazing when you have a draft class like ours in 2023. Four Pro Bowlers. Four guys, I think we’ve all been All-Pro. Incredible. I think eventually the money will come, and I’ll let my agent handle that for now. Continue to get back to work and put my best stuff out there on the field,” LaPorta said of his contract negotiations.
Most importantly, LaPorta feels healthy again.
“First off, I’m feeling great, which is very lucky to be in this situation. Nerve strength came back after my surgery last November, which is amazing. Got cleared in early July. I was out in LA with Dr. Watkins. I threw with Jared (Goff) when I was out there. It was good to be back getting reps with him again, and, of course, I reported on the 25th. So, been in this about a week now and getting to it,” LaPorta said.
As he rehabbed, LaPorta didn’t participate much in the Lions’ offseason work until getting fully cleared in July.
“Yeah, most of the spring I was off to the side and so I got an outsider’s perspective. I felt like the little kid looking through the window at someone else having fun. But, I was watching the offense work and I was still doing my rehab, so getting to throw with him out in LA is like a yearly thing for us and it was really good for us to get back on the same page again,” LaPorta said.
LaPorta said training camp is off to a great start for he and Detroit’s offense.
“It’s been going great. The addition of Drew Petzing’s been amazing. He’s a great leader for us and it trickles down from there. We have great players here. We feel like we have one of the best offenses in the league and we have a lot to prove this year. We’re excited,” LaPorta said.
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This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Detroit Lions TE Sam LaPorta updates contract negotiations, health
Reporting by Josh Helmer, Lions Wire / Lions Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Josh Helmer, Lions Wire | USA TODAY Network
