Breaking News: Sam LaPorta Injury Update And Return Date Revealed

Coach Dan Campbell of the Detroit Lions chose to start all of his starters in Sunday’s 30-20 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in the regular season finale since the No. 2 seed was still in the bag.

That appears to be a potentially expensive option.

Due to a left knee injury sustained late in the first half, rookie tight end Sam LaPorta was declared out of the game by the team at halftime.

On the first play following the two-minute warning, LaPorta—who had earlier in the game set a new NFL rookie record for tight end receptions—was hurt while making a 5-yard catch for a first down.

Josh Metellus tackled him to the ground, and he gripped his left knee.

LaPorta hobbled away on his own and made his way straight to a medical table behind the bench of the Lions, where he was examined again beneath a blue medical tent.

Sadly for the Lions, LaPorta wasn’t the only player whose injury kept him out of the contest. After going down awkwardly on a tackle, wide receiver and return guy Kalif Raymond—who was having a terrific day on special teams with a couple of nice returns—was promptly declared out of the game due to a knee injury.

Around the same time that a medical cart was driving down the sideline to offer LaPorta a trip to the Ford Field locker room, the Lions made their initial announcement that he was unlikely to return.

LaPorta, an Iowa product selected in the second round, caught five passes for 29 yards and ran two yards for the game’s opening touchdown in the opening quarter. With 86 receptions for 889 yards this season, he trails Amon-Ra St. Brown in team stats.

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On his first catch of the game, he broke Keith Jackson’s 1988 rookie record for tight end receptions (81).

In order to advance from the third to the second seed in the NFC playoffs the next week, the Lions (11-5) must defeat the Vikings and suffer defeats to the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles.