Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Jeff Risdon

Sam LaPorta working at practice like he’s going to play vs. Rams

When Lions head coach Dan Campbell said that rookie tight end Sam LaPorta’s knee injury wasn’t as bad as it looked during Sunday’s win over Minnesota, Campbell wasn’t kidding. After initial fears of a serious injury, it now looks like LaPorta is going to play in this Sunday’s wild card game against the Rams.

LaPorta continues to show progress in his movement and strength in his injured knee. While he was officially listed as a non-participant in Thursday’s practice, LaPorta ran routes and also took some blocking reps after the session.

This quick video clip from Friday’s practice, via Woodward Sports, shows LaPorta wearing a full sleeve on his left leg. No. 87 is going through the same warm-up drills as his TE peers and also runs a half-speed (as the drill calls for) route without any real visible limitations.

Campbell said this about LaPorta before Friday’s practice,

 “I’m going to revert back to what I said two days ago. So, we’ll know much, much more after today’s practice. And then entirely, what does it look like tomorrow when he wakes up? I know this, he’s gotten better every day. Every day. And so, we’re going to have him out there, take some practice reps and see where it goes.”

LaPorta earned second-team All-Pro status as a rookie, shattering the Lions receiving marks for a tight end in the process.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.