There may only be a handful of General Managers better at their job than Brad Holmes, who has turned the Detroit Lions into a juggernaut. In each of the last four seasons, Detroit has finished with a winning record, which included a 27-7 stretch in 2023 and 2024, earning two NFC North titles during that time.
And while 2025 ended with no playoffs, the Lions still finished with a winning record and were 7-4 at one point during the season. There is every reason to believe that this team is getting back on track in 2026, especially if the injuries regress to the mean and the defense can elevate their game just a little bit.
But with the Lions having such a loaded roster, a problem arises, and even the best GMs in the league aren't able to overcome it. This latest bold prediction for 2026 would only reinforce that point,
Detroit Lions predicted to trade TE Sam LaPorta to the Panthers in 2026
In ESPN, Ben Solak outlined 10 bold predictions for the 2026 NFL Season, and one of them was the Lions sending Sam LaPorta to the Panthers. Here is some of what he said:
"LaPorta is still quite explosive for a tight end and a safety valve for Goff, who gets frustrated with Williams' erraticism at times. But when building a list of "who we want to get the ball to" in Detroit, LaPorta is a clear fourth behind St. Brown, Williams and Gibbs -- all of whom will be on big contracts once Gibbs signs an extension. Do the Lions want their fourth option to be making over $15 million per year? And especially when LaPorta isn't an impactful blocker, often hidden from that role by St. Brown and Isaac TeSlaa?
Logic takes me to a place where the Lions should listen to trade offers on LaPorta. But who would call? The Bengals want to use more multi-TE sets and are likely to move on from Mike Gesicki's contract in 2027 -- but do they have the cap room for LaPorta? The Dolphins have room for anyone and everyone on their reloading roster -- but do they want to be dealing picks?
I landed on the Panthers, who have a deep tight end room but no difference-making pass catcher in the group. They could easily flip one of their young tight ends back to Detroit and carve out targets for LaPorta. Coach Dave Canales loves to get his tight ends YAC opportunities near the line of scrimmage, which fits LaPorta's style. And because the Panthers' starting receivers are big-bodied blockers (Tetairoa McMillan, Jalen Coker), LaPorta can hide in the running game."
The gist of the argument here is that the Lions have a ton of high-dollar contracts, and could have even more extensions coming for players like Jahmyr Gibbs and Brian Branch, both of whom are key players, perhaps even more than LaPorta.
While the Lions do appear to be in a healthy cap situation now and even in 2027, no NFL team can hand out big-time contracts to everyone - that just isn't possible with the salary cap. Baseball, for example, is a much different story.
Take the 2024 Philadelphia Eagles, for example. After winning the Super Bowl, Philly lost two key players along the defensive line to free agency in Josh Sweat and Milton Williams. GM Howie Roseman is largely regarded as the best in the NFL, but even he wasn't able to get those deals done.
According to Over The Cap, the Lions currently have about $18.5 million in cap space right now, and are projected to have just over $47.5 million in 2027. Those numbers can change, especially 2027's figure, but they do appear to give the Lions a healthy financial bill.
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However, it's not just about the current cap situation, as the Lions have displayed an insane ability to bring in talented players in the NFL Draft, and, inevitably, future contracts need to be handed out. With LaPorta, as Solak notes, he's the Lions fourth option on offense.
Would a fourth option on any side of the ball in the NFL get paid top-dollar? It's not a bad problem for Detroit to have, as this team could likely be just fine without LaPorta, but it does also put Holmes in a tough situation.
I guess this would not be a totally different scenario when the Lions traded TJ Hockenson to the Minnesota Vikings, for example. Given how sharp Holmes has been in the NFL Draft as well, trading LaPorta would very likely mean that Holmes has a plan to replace his production.
Lastly, if trading LaPorta means the team could invest more into the defensive side of the ball, that could be a risk worth taking. With how good the Lions offense has been in recent years - 5th, 1st, and 4th in points per game the last three seasons - getting a solid draft pick in return for LaPorta would be a move that the team could afford to make, but it would also prove that Holmes isn't invincible.
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