Lions tight end Sam LaPorta says team isn't showing the love on a new deal
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The gist
Lions tight end Sam LaPorta said on a podcast he'd go get paid elsewhere without a new deal.
The 2023 second-rounder is in his final rookie-deal year with extension talks stalled.
Background
Sam LaPorta is the Detroit Lions' tight end, a 2023 second-round pick out of Iowa who made the Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro as a rookie and is playing on the final year of his rookie contract. Reports a few weeks before Oct. 21 said the Lions and LaPorta had cut off extension talks after negotiations stopped being productive, and LaPorta confirmed a stalemate. The topic drew attention because four tight ends from the same 2023 draft class have already been extended, while LaPorta leads that group in receiving yards (2,420).
How it unfolded
- 2023The Detroit Lions drafted LaPorta in the second round out of Iowa; he earned Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors as a rookie.
- 2025 seasonLaPorta missed eight games after suffering a herniated disc that required surgery.
- Oct 4, 2026ESPN reported LaPorta is likely to become an unrestricted free agent in 2027 after contract talks were tabled.
- Oct 7, 2026LaPorta told local media there was a stalemate over a contract extension with the Lions.
- Oct 21, 2026On the Pardon My Take podcast, LaPorta said the Lions are not showing the love and that he would go get paid somewhere else if no deal comes.
- Oct 23, 2026LaPorta met with the media to clarify his comments, saying he wants to play for this team and that there were no updates in talks; head coach Dan Campbell addressed the situation that morning and walked off frustrated by the number of questions.
Who’s saying what
- Player
- LaPorta said he breaks his back for the team, is playing well, and that the Lions may not be showing the love, adding he would go get paid somewhere else if no deal comes.
- Caution
- LaPorta later said he feels bad if his comments distracted the team or coaches and that his intention is to play for Detroit, while saying he does not know if he regrets the remarks.
- Official
- Head coach Dan Campbell said there are always two sides to work through and that the team loves LaPorta and considers him a heck of a football player.
Still unverified
It is unclear whether the two sides will resume talks during the season or settle it in the offseason, and the Lions' side on why talks hit a snag has not been heard.