As the Detroit Lions come off their bye week and prepare to take on the Green Bay Packers, tight end Sam LaPorta made headlines with his comments about the status of contract talks on the "Pardon My Take" podcast.
In case you somehow missed the comments, here's what LaPorta said.
"I think the combination of like, getting your heartstrings twisted, as well as the violent sport that we play, you know, it sucks, and it's disappointing that you go out there every week and you bear the risk of getting hurt. You know, like last year, whatever it was, week nine, week 10, you know, I break my f****** back for the team, and them I'm going out there this year and I'm balling and maybe they're just not showing the love."
"So it sucks. I'm going to continue to be a pro. And I dish a lot of that to my agent and he handles that great. And in three months, if I don't get to wear the Honolulu blue and play for the Lions anymore, it's going to be all good. I'll go get paid somewhere else. So whatever,"
Head coach Dan Campbell has been adamant about having an open-door policy with players, with nothing off-limits in terms of concerns they are free to come to him and voice. Before airing that headline-making, reaction-inducing laundry about contract talks publicly, it's fair to assume LaPorta talked to Campbell.
During his press conference on Friday, Campbell dismissed the idea LaPorta's comments are at all a distraction in the building. That's what he'd be expected to say, and this is pretty unchartered territory for the team when it comes to ongoing contract talks.
Sam LaPorta's absence to media in the locker room is much ado about nothing
As is typical, players were made available to the media in the locker room after Thursday's practice. LaPorta did not talk to reporters, and Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press (h/t to Lions on SI) attempted to call him out for it.
According to Free Press, Lions tight end Sam LaPorta HID from media, forcing teammates to answer questions about what he said. Many Lions declined to answer pic.twitter.com/ZZetKqDdTb
— DetroitSportsPodcast (@DetroitPodcast) October 23, 2026
NFL policy does say players have to be available to reporters at least once during the practice week, and after every game, with potential additional access requirements. Of course there are times players don't fulfill the full extent of that obligation, with a fine (right, Marshawn Lynch?) not necessarily always known to be doled out for not doing so.
READ MORE: Why the Lions' lack of a consistent run stopping defense may get exposed in Week 7
Jeremy Reisman of Pride of Detroit added some context to the idea LaPorta was uniquely unavailable to the media on Thursday,
For context, players are not OBLIGATED to be in the locker room when media is present.
— Jeremy Reisman (@DetroitOnLion) October 23, 2026
I’d say we see Sam in there about 25% of the time. https://t.co/inqKoVWyF2
LaPorta knew the line of questions he was going to get after his podcast comments. He surely wouldn't have added much if he had talked to reporters, with few words and cliche-filled answers about focusing on the Packers.
Ideally, LaPorta wouldn't have said what he said about the status of contract talks, and his potential future, on a popular podcast. Ideally, he also would've been available in the post-practice locker room like he's theoretically supposed to be. As if Thursday would be his only possible availability for the week.
Alas, on Friday, LaPorta had a short session with reporters and probably said a lot of the same things he would have said the day before.
Lions TE Sam LaPorta on his comments on Pardon My Take: pic.twitter.com/77MGmkruyf
— Colton Pouncy (@colton_pouncy) October 23, 2026
In this situation LaPorta is damned if he makes himself available to talk, regardless of what he says, and damned if he isn't available at all. In any case, accusing him of hiding from reporters one time is a big-time, disingenuous overreaction.
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