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The Detroit Lions lost one of their star players during Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals, as tight end Sam LaPorta suffered a brutal hit midway through the second quarter and had to leave the game due to injury.
LaPorta is in his second season in the league and has dominated ever since he joined the Lions. The tight end was drafted in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft and quickly turned into a superstar, easily taking over the job that was from T.J. Hockenson before he was traded from Detroit.
During the game, LaPorta had amassed two catches for 36 yards over two targets from Jared Goff. The Lions and the Cardinals were both sitting at 1-1 as the game started and this was shaping up to be a battle between two great offenses in Arizona.
He was carted off the field and quickly went to the locker room with his ankle injury, with players looking concerned about his well-being. He tried to return to the game, but once again left with a noticeable limp.
Backup tight end Brock Wright took his place on the offense while he sat on the sideline with an ice pack. His return is considered questionable.
Sam LaPorta broke NFL record for most receptions for a rookie tight end
In what was the most notable season for the Detroit Lions in a long time, Sam LaPorta surpassed Keith Jackson (81 in 1988) for the most receptions for a tight end in his first year in the league. The record was broken in a touchdown reception against the Vikings.
With 10 touchdowns during the season, LaPorta was also tied with Rob Gronkowski in second place for the most touchdown receptions for a rookie tight end. Hall of Fame tight end Mike Ditka had amassed 12 in 1961.
He was nearly unstoppable, and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson made sure to use his abilities in the best possible manner. Just like the entire Detroit offense, he started a bit slow in 2024 but his play against the Cardinals was going great until the injury.
