NFL Draft

Lions Rookie TE Sam LaPorta Suffers Apparent Knee Injury vs. Vikings

Detroit's star rookie left the game in the first half, and his status is unclear.

Luke Easterling

Lions Rookie TE Sam LaPorta Suffers Apparent Knee Injury vs. Vikings
Lions Rookie TE Sam LaPorta Suffers Apparent Knee Injury vs. Vikings /

Detroit Lions rookie tight end Sam LaPorta left Sunday's game against the Minnesota Vikings with an apparent knee injury.

LaPorta went down late in the second quarter, and after being examined by medical personnel on the field, headed to the sideline and into the medical tent.

A second-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Iowa, LaPorta has made NFL history this season, setting a new league record for most receptions by a rookie tight end. Earlier in the game, he hauled in his 10th touchdown catch of the year.

Here's hoping LaPorta's injury isn't serious, and he'll be back on the field as soon as possible.

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Luke Easterling
LUKE EASTERLING

Luke Easterling (he/him) has been covering college football and the NFL for more than two decades, with a particular focus on the nexus of both, the NFL Draft. Writing for some of the largest and most recognizable brands in sports media, Luke's experience and expertise in evaluating potential NFL prospects and evaluating team needs/fits has earned the appreciation of his readers, and the respect of his peers. Luke cut his sports journalism teeth at The Tampa Tribune before spending two years at Bleacher Report as a featured columnist covering the NFL Draft and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Luke then spent nearly seven years at USA TODAY Sports Media Group as editor of Draft Wire and Bucs Wire, building both into authoritative destination sites for their respective audiences. Now at The Arena Group, Luke covers the NFL and college football for Athlon Sports, and runs Sports Illustrated's FanNation site for the NFL Draft. A graduate of the University of South Florida, Luke has been a featured guest on ESPN Radio, CBS Sports Radio, Fox Sports Radio, SiriusXM and more.  Based in Tampa, Florida (the true home of the Cuban sandwich), Luke plays the drums, loves 2000s pop-punk, watches way too many British murder mystery shows, and channels the energy of his deep-south Grammy and his full-Italian Nana in the kitchen. Twitter: @lukeeasterling Email: luke.easterling@si.com

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