When Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta was placed on injured reserve with a back injury, fans feared the worst. The injury was somewhat unknown, as the star pass catcher mysteriously recorded a season-low snap count in Week 10. Apparently, the issue was even worse than initially expected.
Head coach Dan Campbell told the media on Friday that LaPorta has had surgery on his back. Per Lions reporter Dave Birkett, Campbell said that the chances of the tight end returning to action this season are "very, very slim."
The news comes as a crucial blow to a Lions team that is in the middle of a push to reclaim the top spot in the NFC North. Without their star tight end, this offense has a steep hill to climb through the rest of the season.
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Detroit's offense was finally starting to pick up some steam again after Campbell took over play-calling duties. This news sets them back again, limiting Jared Goff's options in the passing game and eliminating one of the team's most underrated run blockers.
After being placed on IR, LaPorta is guaranteed to miss at least the next four games. But, according to Campbell, he'll likely be out much longer than that.
LaPorta had already logged nearly 500 receiving yards and three touchdowns on the season. He's a crucial cog in this offense, being used in a variety of ways to take advantage of opposing defenses. Without him, the Lions are missing one of the most versatile tight ends in football.
With LaPorta sidelined, Brock Wright will step into the starting lineup moving forward. Wright saw four targets in his first start in Week 11, hauling in two of the passes for eight yards. He's typically used as more of a blocking tight end than a receiving threat, so he'll have to expand his role in the coming weeks.
This injury limits Campbell's ability to use heavy personnel groupings. LaPorta's dual-threat ability allowed the Lions to line up with multiple tight ends and still force defenses to account for the possibility of a pass down the field. Now, they may lean into more common formations.
It's still encouraging that Campbell wasn't quite willing to shut the door on the tight end's season. It may be possible that, if the Lions make a deep run in the playoffs, he could return to the field.