Sam LaPorta isn’t pretending the contract situation is moving smoothly, but he also isn’t sounding rattled by it.
After ESPN reported over the weekend that the Detroit Lions and their tight end had stopped extension talks following an impasse through the first four weeks of the season, LaPorta addressed the situation publicly on Wednesday and struck a notably upbeat tone. He said he believes the Lions value him, and that belief is a big reason he’s staying patient.
“I would like to think that I’m optimistic,” LaPorta said. “I say that with a smile because this is the organization that took a chance on me and drafted me and took me in. There was a very deep tight end class the year that I came out in 2023, and there’s been a lot of great tight ends that have come out of that class, some of which have gotten paid, some of which are younger than me and gotten paid, and that’s about all I can comment on other than, I’m going to keep doing my thing, keeping my head down and working hard.”
That 2023 tight end class has already produced several new deals. Michael Mayer signed for three years and $45 million, Tucker Kraft got four years and $75 million, and Darnell Washington landed a four-year, $42 million extension. LaPorta, though, made it clear he’s not spending his energy chasing the top number at the position, even with George Kittle sitting at the top of the market on a four-year, $76.4 million deal.
“I’ve never hung my hat on, like, being the highest paid tight end, being the first tight end to get drafted in my class, making the Pro Bowl, being first-team All-Pro,” LaPorta said. “I’ve always put all my chips in the pile of, ‘What can I do for the team?’
And those chips are still all there. And, like I said, I’m letting my agent and the front office handle the financial side of things, and when I feel like we’re a go, you guys will know.
And I’m sure the news will break and everybody will shoot confetti in the air. It’ll be the whole thing.”
The Lions, at least publicly, are keeping the same calm posture. Earlier Wednesday, coach Dan Campbell said the contract issue wasn’t on his radar, while also making it clear he has plenty of respect for LaPorta’s game.
“Just because there’s a report of that doesn’t mean that that’s some big issue, big deal,” Campbell said. “I love LaPorta.
We love LaPorta. He’s a heck of a football player and I though he played his best game the other day.
His work ethic, his production speaks for itself.”
LaPorta did acknowledge that there is still a real snag in the process. He said the door isn’t necessarily closed on talks during the season, but he also described the situation as a “stalemate.”
“I don’t know if it’s truly off the table, but I think there’s certainly a stalemate right now,” LaPorta said. “I’m really giving the reins to my agent, Jack Bechta.
He’s been handling it with the front office. All the advice he’s given me so far is that we just haven’t come to terms yet.”
For now, LaPorta says the business side won’t spill onto the field. His attention, he said, remains on football, not the back-and-forth behind the scenes.
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