Latest news with #SamLaPorta
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trey McBride glad that he and George Kittle are helping tight end contracts grow
In early April, Arizona's Trey McBride signed a four-year, $76 million contract that made him the first tight end in NFL history to sign a deal averaging $19 million a year. In late April, 49ers tight end George Kittle signed a contract that averaged $19.1 million a year — thanks to an inflated final year structured specifically to make Kittle's annual average look better than McBride's. For his part, McBride is just happy to see tight ends getting paid, regardless of whether he or Kittle has the title of highest paid tight end in the NFL. Advertisement 'I think it was great that I had the title at one point and that was obviously a huge milestone for me and everything just to be the highest paid at my position at the time, and I thought that was really cool,' McBride told 'Obviously, George is much deserving of that and I'm very excited for him.' McBride is hoping some tight end is making $20 million a year soon. 'I would love for someone to jump him and everyone just keep jumping each other and the tight ends make a ton of money," McBride said. "So that's what I'm pulling for but obviously very excited for George.' Future tight ends who might break the $20 million a year mark include Sam LaPorta of the Lions, who will be eligible for his second contract in 2026, and Brock Bower of the Raiders, who will be eligible for his second contract in 2027.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Where does the Vikings tight end group rank in the NFC North in 2025?
Where does the Vikings tight end group rank in the NFC North in 2025? We are continuing a Summer series here on Vikings Wire, ranking the position groups across the division. The major pit stops of the offseason have come and gone, which means rosters are set for the most part. Now, could someone pull off a major trade or sign a veteran free agent down the line? Of course, and they likely will based on our luck to throw things off. Regardless, we wanted to do this exercise just to give you, the reader, a state of the division. At the end of each article, we will also provide a recap of the scorecards so that we can keep a running tally for you to keep track of and see who has the best roster in the division. Next up are the Tight Ends in the NFC North. 4) Chicago Bears Depth Chart: Colston Loveland, Cole Kmet, Durham Smythe, Stephen Carlson, and Joel Wilson Rookies have been hard to ignore in these rankings, and Colston Loveland with the Bears is just another example of that. The incoming tight end from Michigan is poised to play the Sam LaPorta role in Ben Johnson's offense in Chicago, so he could very well make this group one of the best this time next year. Behind him is Cole Kmet, who has proven to be a good tight end, but not a great one. All in all, it's an outstanding group, but the division is once again very deep at this position. Depth Chart: T.J. Hockenson, Josh Oliver, Gavin Bartholomew, Ben Yurosek, and Bryson Nesbit T.J. Hockenson has proven to be one of the best tight ends in the NFL, and the Vikings have paid him as such. Despite that, he was slow out of the gate coming off a torn ACL in 2024 so he will look to bounce back in 2025. On top of that, the Vikings also lack the depth of the teams ahead of them so sadly they fall in at the three spot here in our rankings. Depth Chart: Tucker Kraft, Luke Musgrave, Ben Sims, John FitzPatrick, Messiah Swinson, and Johnny Lumpkin The one-two punch of Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft is one of the best and most underrated tight end duos in the NFL. For Kraft, especially, he has become one of the best tight ends in the NFL at picking up yards after the catch, as well as a reliable redzone target. Musgrave is not to be forgotten either, but he has shown he still has some growing to do. Once he hits his stride, this duo will be unstoppable for the Packers. Depth Chart: Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright, Shane Zylstra, Kenny Yeboah, and Luke Deal It may seem like I am going against myself, but Sam LaPorta is enough to tip the scales for the Lions here to give them the best group. Before I talk about him, it is worth highlighting that Brock Wright does not get enough love like he deserves because of the role he is tasked with. Back to LaPorta now, the Lions struck gold with him, the same way they did with Jahmyr Gibbs.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Health tidbits from the recent Lions player media sessions
Multiple Lions players met with the media on May 22, 2025. These sessions can be illuminating as players may disclose previously unknown injuries and surgeries. That happened here with Sam LaPorta. Here are some quotes from the players along with my quick takeaways. Aidan Hutchinson October 13, 2024 Left tibia/fibula fracture "I got cleared a while back." Advertisement There wasn't much question Hutchinson had been "cleared" for football activities as we've seen him rehabbing aggressively the past few weeks. The bone was likely fully healed back in January. Just be aware that being cleared medically doesn't say anything about his chances of getting back to his previous self on the football field - which I think are very good. "As far as playing in the Super Bowl, I guess we'll never know." He was never going to be close to 100% for the Super Bowl which is confirmed by a recent rehab video which still shows a hitch in gait. However, many NFL players in the past have returned for the Super Bowl extraordinarily early in recovery - Terrell Owens ankle 2005, Thomas Davis forearm 2016, Brandon Graham triceps 2025. "My rehab really didn't have very many setbacks. It was a steady, gradual climb." This is great to hear as complications can occur with any injury or surgery. A famous recent example is Alex Smith who suffered infections related to his tib/fib fracture that delayed his return for two years. Unlike Smith, Hutchinson has had a smooth recovery which means he should be fully ready for the start of the season. What was notably missing from Hutchinson's session was for someone to ask if he or the team had evaluated his technique at point-of-contact with the QB. His leg-whip mechanism of injury has been seen at least twice in the past two years. It would be worthwhile to research how often this happens to him in comparison to other elite edge rushers. Aidan Hutchinson leg whip Sam LaPorta "My first offseason, I had ankle surgery." Advertisement This was the most interesting disclosure during the entire media session. Ankle surgery was surprising as he did not miss any games for an ankle during his rookie season in 2023. On December 30, 2023, LaPorta appeared to suffer an external rotation right ankle sprain which could have caused a medial ankle sprain or high ankle sprain. It's uncertain if this was the injury that necessitated surgery, but it was the only notable ankle injury I saw during the season. He finished the game and went on to play the final four games of the season without obvious disability. Of added interest is that in the very next game, LaPorta suffered a potentially-serious, left knee hyperextension. While there is no way to know for sure if this knee injury was a compensation injury, it's possible he took a shorter step on his right leg to protect the right ankle. That short right step may have caused an extended left step which could have led to the hyperextension. "This season, I came out pretty healthy." Advertisement It's great to hear that LaPorta felt healthy after the 2024 season despite appearing to have suffered multiple minor injuries including a hamstring in camp, a right low ankle sprain in week 3, a right knee hyperextension in week 7, and a left AC joint in week 10. Good news that this time, none of those injuries resulted in a surprise offseason surgery. He is poised to have a big year in 2025. Penei Sewell Sewell did not mention any health concerns or offseason surgeries. This is good news as there was concern for a left knee or ankle injury in the final game of the season vs the Commanders. The knee was hyperflexed as his foot was trapped. A high ankle sprain or knee cartilage damage could have resulted from this mechanism. While wearing a left knee brace, Sewell finished out the game. But as we just saw with LaPorta, finishing games does not rule out a future surgery. Entering the 2025 season, Sewell is young (24), elite (2x All-Pro), and healthy. There appear to be no offseason surprises that will slow him down as he continues his Hall-of-Fame pace. DJ Reader "Probably my healthiest offseason in a minute. Haven't had to get cut open." Advertisement The main concern coming out of last season was a left shoulder injury in week 13 that caused Reader to miss one game. The mechanism was concerning for a subluxation that can sometimes require surgery. Thus it's great to hear that the injury was non-surgical and likely minor. Last offseason was a different story as Reader was still recovering from a right quad tendon tear suffered on December 16, 2023. He also had a knee scope in June 2024. Reader will be entering 2025 a year older (31 at start of season) but with a much healthier offseason than last. This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Lions health tidbits from recent player media sessions
USA Today
27-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Health tidbits from the recent Lions player media sessions
Health tidbits from the recent Lions player media sessions Multiple Lions players met with the media on May 22, 2025. These sessions can be illuminating as players may disclose previously unknown injuries and surgeries. That happened here with Sam LaPorta. Here are some quotes from the players along with my quick takeaways. Aidan Hutchinson October 13, 2024 Left tibia/fibula fracture "I got cleared a while back." There wasn't much question Hutchinson had been "cleared" for football activities as we've seen him rehabbing aggressively the past few weeks. The bone was likely fully healed back in January. Just be aware that being cleared medically doesn't say anything about his chances of getting back to his previous self on the football field - which I think are very good. "As far as playing in the Super Bowl, I guess we'll never know." He was never going to be close to 100% for the Super Bowl which is confirmed by a recent rehab video which still shows a hitch in gait. However, many NFL players in the past have returned for the Super Bowl extraordinarily early in recovery - Terrell Owens ankle 2005, Thomas Davis forearm 2016, Brandon Graham triceps 2025. "My rehab really didn't have very many setbacks. It was a steady, gradual climb." This is great to hear as complications can occur with any injury or surgery. A famous recent example is Alex Smith who suffered infections related to his tib/fib fracture that delayed his return for two years. Unlike Smith, Hutchinson has had a smooth recovery which means he should be fully ready for the start of the season. What was notably missing from Hutchinson's session was for someone to ask if he or the team had evaluated his technique at point-of-contact with the QB. His leg-whip mechanism of injury has been seen at least twice in the past two years. It would be worthwhile to research how often this happens to him in comparison to other elite edge rushers. Sam LaPorta "My first offseason, I had ankle surgery." This was the most interesting disclosure during the entire media session. Ankle surgery was surprising as he did not miss any games for an ankle during his rookie season in 2023. On December 30, 2023, LaPorta appeared to suffer an external rotation right ankle sprain which could have caused a medial ankle sprain or high ankle sprain. It's uncertain if this was the injury that necessitated surgery, but it was the only notable ankle injury I saw during the season. He finished the game and went on to play the final four games of the season without obvious disability. Sam LaPorta R ankle injury video -Does not appear overly concerning on vid -Was not taped up during game which is reassuring -Finished game and played 100% snaps -Should be fine for playoffs — Jimmy Liao MD | Detroit Lions Morning Rounds (@JimmyLiaoMD) January 4, 2024 Of added interest is that in the very next game, LaPorta suffered a potentially-serious, left knee hyperextension. While there is no way to know for sure if this knee injury was a compensation injury, it's possible he took a shorter step on his right leg to protect the right ankle. That short right step may have caused an extended left step which could have led to the hyperextension. Sam LaPorta L knee injury video -3 slomo views -MRI results: hyperextension + bone bruise -No ACL tear, plateau fracture, or peroneal nerve damage (Jaylon Smith) -Likely one or more ligament sprains including LCL, PLC, PCL, MCL -Hope no cartilage damage — Jimmy Liao MD | Detroit Lions Morning Rounds (@JimmyLiaoMD) January 8, 2024 "This season, I came out pretty healthy." It's great to hear that LaPorta felt healthy after the 2024 season despite appearing to have suffered multiple minor injuries including a hamstring in camp, a right low ankle sprain in week 3, a right knee hyperextension in week 7, and a left AC joint in week 10. Good news that this time, none of those injuries resulted in a surprise offseason surgery. He is poised to have a big year in 2025. Penei Sewell Sewell did not mention any health concerns or offseason surgeries. This is good news as there was concern for a left knee or ankle injury in the final game of the season vs the Commanders. The knee was hyperflexed as his foot was trapped. A high ankle sprain or knee cartilage damage could have resulted from this mechanism. While wearing a left knee brace, Sewell finished out the game. But as we just saw with LaPorta, finishing games does not rule out a future surgery. Penei Sewell L knee injury video -Credit @NFLonFox for picking up on this quickly -Gets bent over on flexed knee. Played rest of game with a left knee brace. -Hope just mild patella/quad tendon strain and no joint cartilage damage. — Jimmy Liao MD | Detroit Lions Morning Rounds (@JimmyLiaoMD) January 19, 2025 Entering the 2025 season, Sewell is young (24), elite (2x All-Pro), and healthy. There appear to be no offseason surprises that will slow him down as he continues his Hall-of-Fame pace. DJ Reader "Probably my healthiest offseason in a minute. Haven't had to get cut open." The main concern coming out of last season was a left shoulder injury in week 13 that caused Reader to miss one game. The mechanism was concerning for a subluxation that can sometimes require surgery. Thus it's great to hear that the injury was non-surgical and likely minor. DJ Reader L shoulder injury video -This mechanism can cause a subluxation. Hope just a mild sprain. — Jimmy Liao MD | Detroit Lions Morning Rounds (@JimmyLiaoMD) December 2, 2024 Last offseason was a different story as Reader was still recovering from a right quad tendon tear suffered on December 16, 2023. He also had a knee scope in June 2024. Reader will be entering 2025 a year older (31 at the start of the season) but with a much healthier offseason than last.
USA Today
22-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Sam LaPorta talks about the Lions unfinished business, wanting the ball, blocking and more
Sam LaPorta talks about the Lions unfinished business, wanting the ball, blocking and more Lions tight end Sam LaPorta met with the media on Thursday after the morning OTA session. The moustachioed LaPorta eruditely fielded several questions and gave some nice insight on a few Detroit topics. A summary of the tight end's interactions. New offensive coaches The Lions have a new offensive coordinator in John Morton, as well as a new tight ends coach in Tyler Roehl and passing game coordinator David Shaw. So far, so good as far as LaPorta sees things. "There is some new faces. You get that every year in the NFL," LaPorta said. "You adapt, you overcome." The third-year vet continued, "With the new coaches, it's been great so far. Learning some new stuff, but some stuff has stayed the same. Building those relationships, continuing to do the work. It's football. It's an ever-changing, evolutionary game." Unfinished business "Every year we fell like there is unfinished business," LaPorta said when asked about how Detroit's season ended earlier than hoped in the playoffs. "We know that we have the players to go out and win games, and the biggest ones as well." LaPorta didn't shy away from the pressure, which is a common theme among the players and coaches in Detroit throughout this offseason. Continuity with Brock Wright LaPorta is entering his third year in Detroit, and No. 2 TE Brock Wright has been with him the whole time. The two are very good together, and the continuity and communication between the duo is important to Detroit's offense. "In terms of communication it's getting to the point where a lot of things don't need to be said between Brock and I," LaPorta stated. "We're out there and we know what we both need, we know what's going on. We kind of just look at each other and (smiles) give each other the agreeance look, like--this is how we're going to work this set." Clean bill of health LaPorta happily admitted that he had an offseason free of surgery or recovery from serious injuries. He played through a minor shoulder injury midway through the 2024 season, sitting out the Week 11 blowout win over the Jaguars. "This season I came out pretty healthy," LaPorta said. "It was great. I got to take some time off and let my body relax for the first time since basically fall camp of my senior year at Iowa." Room for personal growth LaPorta is still known primarily as a receiving specialist around the league, but he's efforting hard to change that. "I was very pleased with how my run game, run blocking, came along in Year 2 ... I was very pleased with how I blocked in the run game. Looking ahead to this year, just keep polishing things." On wanting the ball more LaPorta's production went down from his record-setting rookie campaign. His receptions dropped from 86 to 60, and the yardage fell from 889 to 726, scoring just seven TDs to 10 in his fantastic debut season. It's safe to say LaPorta isn't fazed by the lesser numbers. "There was a lot of weapons last year. I kept hearing comments about 'why didn't you get the ball as much?' and I'm like, 'dude, we scored the most points out of any team in the NFL in the last five years.' Everybody deserves the ball."
