During a portion of the Detroit Lions’ game against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, it appeared as though a player was hurt every other play. Sam LaPorta, the tight end, was one of them and he was carried to the locker room shortly before halftime. Although seeing the cart is always unsettling, the decision to cart LaPorta off appears to have been influenced by the fact that it was almost halftime.
LaPorta’s right ankle sprain was verified by head coach Dan Campbell following the game.
On the Lions’ first drive of the third quarter, LaPorta was back on the field. However, he hobbled to the sidelines and was shown with an ice pack on his injured ankle after blocking and sprinting across the formation on the second play of that series. He was given a dubious return status, but he eventually made a brief comeback to the game before hobbling off once more. He had two catches for 36 yards at the end of the game.
Sam LaPorta injury update: How much time might the Lions’ TE miss?
On Sunday, LaPorta blocked a downfield play during the Lions’ “hook and ladder” score. Safety Budda Baker of the Cardinals attempted a late, ultimately ineffective dive to tackle Jahmyr Gibbs, which resulted in LaPorta being knocked down in the end zone.
Every expert on injuries on Twitter has attempted to diagnose LaPorta. The Lions tight end sustained a mild ankle sprain, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler; more testing is necessary to ascertain the extent of the injury.
LaPorta looks to have escaped the feared high ankle sprain, which usually means missing more time than a low ankle sprain would. If that holds true, that’s good news. On Monday, Campbell might have some updates regarding every injury from Sunday, including LaPorta. It’s unlikely that he will make it known how much time he will miss this early in the week.
The Lions will have a bye in Week 5 and will play the Seattle Seahawks on Monday night after having an additional day off.
