Allen Park — Following a weekend report that negotiations with the Lions have stalled, and his camp was pushing pause on talks, tight end Sam LaPorta remains optimistic the two sides will eventually agree to a long-term deal that will keep him in Detroit for years to come.
“I don’t know if it’s truly off the table, but I think there’s certainly a stalemate right now,” LaPorta said. “I’m really giving the reins to my agent, Jack Bechta. He’s been handling it with the front office. All the advice he’s given me so far is that we just haven’t come to terms yet.”
“I would like to think that I’m optimistic,” LaPorta said. “I say that with a smile because this is the organization that took a chance on me and drafted me. There was a very deep tight end class the year that I came out in 2023. There’s been a lot of great tight ends that have come out of that class, some of which have gotten paid… That’s about all I can comment on other than I’m going to keep doing my thing, keeping my head down and working hard.”
Bechta is an invaluable resource for LaPorta. One of the top player agents, he represents multiple tight ends, including two of the three highest paid, San Francisco’s George Kittle and Green Bay’s Tucker Kraft, who re-upped with the Packers last month.
“I’ve put a lot of trust in Jack,” LaPorta said. “He’s one of the best agents out there. He represents George, he represents Tuck, he’s represented lots of guys. He’s sat at the big-boy tables, negotiated big-boy deals. I put a lot of trust in him, and I really respect him and value his opinion. So, that’s where we’re at.”
LaPorta insisted he’s not necessarily looking to reset the market at his position, even after Kraft’s new pact checked in a few hundred thousand per year less than the bar previously established by Kittle.
“I’ve never hung my hat on being the highest-paid tight end, being the first tight end to get drafted in my class, making the Pro Bowl, being first-team All-Pro,’ LaPorta said. “I’ve always put all my chips in the pile of, ‘What can I do for the team?’ Those chips are still all there. Like I said, I’m letting my agent and the front office handle the financial side of things.
“When I feel like we’re a go, you guys will know and I’m sure the news will break and everyone will shoot confetti in the air,” LaPorta said. “It’ll be a whole thing.”
LaPorta has played nearly 90% of the team’s offensive snaps through four games coming off a season-ending back injury that required surgery. Coach Dan Campbell said he believed LaPorta is coming off his best game of the season, an eight-catch, 84-yard performance against Carolina that included a late touchdown.
“We love LaPorta,” Campbell said. “He's a heck of a football player and I though he played his best game the other day. His work ethic, his production speaks for itself.”
A month into the season, LaPorta said there’s no residual concerns about the back.
“The body feels great, it’s held up great,” he said. “The back is great. I took scans, MRIs before the season. It’s great, sent it to Dr. Watkins, the guy who did my surgery. He responded and said everything looks fantastic and I should have a long, healthy career to follow. Excited to play more snaps.”
LaPorta reiterated that he hopes those snaps continue to come in a Lions uniform, but he’s prepared for an alternate outcome.
“This is the organization that took me in,” LaPorta said. “I have a lot of great friends, acquaintances, relationships with people here in this building. I think people really respect me and value me in this building, and it would be great to be here. If I go other ways, I’m going to continue to play football. It’s what I love to do, and my family supports me wherever I am.”
LaPorta holds nearly every single-season franchise receiving record for his position. After Sunday’s performance against Carolina, he’s on pace to exceed his reception and receiving yardage totals from that record-setting rookie campaign.
Would love to keep him. Great guy. But this team would struggle to stop a talented High School offense at this point. They need defensive help. They need a new DC. The offense has made their mistakes this season but they are far from the reason why they are losing or will continue to lose.
This is the challenge of the NFL. Who do you pay? Who do you let leave? I trust the guy that built the roster up. I am starting to lose that trust when I watch them play uncompetitive football. I think back on the early Campbell teams that weren’t very good but damn they played hard. Every week. Games like Buffalo this season or Carolina the other day, they look lazy and they look like they don’t want to be there. Something has to change. Bringing this all back to Laporta, will extending him help the defense? I doubt it. But who knows. It’s depressing to think the magic this team had a few years ago has been lost already. We as fans have had to suffer through some awful seasons in our lives. I have a bad feeling this season is going to go quicky down the toilet. Maybe that’s PTSD talking. Sorry for the rant.
Apparently the fact that Laporta had major back surgery and the Lions didn't abandon him doesn't count but just the amount money in the future contract.