Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta suffered a knee injury during his team’s season finale against the Minnesota Vikings this past weekend, putting his status for the Lions’ Wild Card Round matchup with the Los Angeles Rams in jeopardy.
However, LaPorta thinks he might be able to play this Sunday.
“Yeah, I’m optimistic. We’ll see,” LaPorta said, via Colton Pouncey of The Athletic.
LaPorta was diagnosed with a hyperextended knee and a bone bruise, which actually seemed like best-case scenario based on how the injury initially looked.
“It was certainly a little scary when it first happened,” LaPorta said. “I think everybody’s probably seen a picture of it. There was definitely a sigh of relief when I found out structurally everything was good.”
LaPorta did not practice on Wednesday but “got some reps” on Thursday. More specifically, he participated in some individual blocking drills and also did some route running with quarterback Jared Goff.
“It’s starting to feel better day by day,” added LaPorta. “See where it takes me tomorrow. Really just taking it a day at a time. When it first happened, it didn’t feel great. I feel like I’ve started to bounce back quickly, so we’ll see.”
The 22-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the University of Iowa, was selected by the Lions in the second round of the NFL Draft last spring.
Sam LaPorta enjoyed an incredible rookie campaign, hauling in 86 receptions for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns en route to a Pro Bowl selection.
He had logged five catches for 29 yards and a score prior to exiting late in the first half against the Vikings in Week 18.
The Lions went 11-6 this season, winning the NFC North division title. It marked Detroit’s first division crown in three decades. The Lions are now seeking their first playoff win since January 1992.
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