Sam Laporta’s season is over.
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell said Friday, Nov. 21, that Laporta underwent back surgery and could miss the rest of the year, including Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
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“So look, Sam did have surgery and he’s going to be out for a while,” Campbell said at a news conference at Allen Park. “A period of time. I think we’ll be lucky enough to have an opportunity at some point to have him back for the rest of the season. I think it’s very, very slim.”
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Laporta suffered a back injury in the Lions’ Nov. 9 win over the Washington Commanders, was placed on injured reserve and missed the Nov. 16 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Brock Wright is recovering from a tracheal injury and is not expected to return until the playoffs, while Shane Zylstra has been out for several weeks and was listed as questionable on Friday before being activated from IR on Saturday. He and Anthony Firkser, who had two catches for 11 yards in three games, were the only tight ends on the Lions’ 53-man roster entering Sunday’s game.
Detroit Lions tight end Sam Laporta (87) catches the ball during the first half against the Minnesota Vikings at Ford Field in Detroit, Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025.
Laporta ranks fourth on the Lions with 40 catches for 489 yards and three touchdowns and is a key red zone and third-down threat this year.
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Lions TE Depth Chart
Here’s a look at the Lions’ tight end roster for Sunday’s game against the Rams:
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Zach Horton (practice squad).
Laporta, who turns 25 in January, set a then-rookie record with 86 catches as a 2023 second-round pick out of Iowa.
He is eligible for an extension this offseason and is considered one of the Lions’ core homegrown players.
“The good news is that the process has been very smooth and long-term,” Campbell said.
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Please contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram: @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared in the Detroit Free Press: Sam Laporta injury update: Will Detroit Lions TE face Rams?