Update on Sam LaPorta’s injury: Dan Campbell’s remarks regarding the knee of the Detroit Lions tight end

The greatest punt returner and second-leading receiver for the Detroit Lions will probably be absent when they play in the NFL playoffs starting next week.

The left knee injury tight end Sam LaPorta sustained in Sunday’s 30-20 victory over the Minnesota Vikings to close off the regular season was described by Lions coach Dan Campbell as “not as bad as it looked, but it’s not good news.”

“After the game, we’ll find out more tomorrow,” Campbell added. “I realise how bad it looked. Not everything is so horrible. But just having him for a game doesn’t mean it looks fantastic right now.”

With 1:55 remaining in the first half, LaPorta was hurt after Josh Metellus tackled him to the ground, causing his leg to bend awkwardly.

Following the play, LaPorta, who established a rookie tight end record with 86 receptions for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns during the regular season, awkwardly limped to the sideline. There, he received additional testing under the blue medical tent before taking a cart to the locker room.

After a 9-yard reception early in the fourth quarter, punt returner Kalif Raymond also sustained a left knee injury that is expected to keep him out of the playoff opening next week. Following the temporary absence of Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown due to a rib ailment, Raymond assumed a more expansive role on offence.

“Leaf’s kind of in that same little world there a little bit,” added Campbell.

In an attempt to strengthen their position in the NFC playoff race, the Lions (12-5) used the most of their starters for the entire game on Sunday.

They held the No. 3 seed in the NFC going into the week, but they needed to defeat the Vikings and lose to the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles in order to advance to the No. 2 spot. On Sunday, the Eagles and Cowboys were both playing in the late afternoon.

Despite the injuries, Campbell stated he had no regrets about his choice to start the players on Sunday.

“Not at all. You don’t want guys to get hurt, I mean, man,” Campbell remarked. “And last night, I prayed for our players, like I always do before big games. We attempted to limit what we could, and that play happened. You never want anyone to be hurt, especially in a game like this. However, we have two tight ends and we used Dan Skipper, the offensive tackle, as a third tight end.

It’s a difficult situation. You’re really kind of all in or all out and we were going, and I know this is terrible. That was something we had to do. Additionally, we already have a number of wounded individuals on the inactive list, so you can only bring so many guys and play them. But I would say all in all, we got out of it pretty good.”

Despite being forced to leave the game for a short while in the third quarter due to a rib injury, St. Brown maintained he was “solid” and claimed Vikings defensive lineman Harrison Phillips intentionally kneed him as he lay on the ground following a reception.

After leaving the game for one play, St. Brown came back to catch a 70-yard touchdown on the Lions’ subsequent drive. Throughout the remainder of the game, he was in and out of the lineup and kept stretching his torso on the sidelines.

“I’m not sure what he was using, 97,” St. Brown remarked regarding Phillips. “He intentionally laid. I have no idea what he was doing, but playing football is what it is.”

Sunday, rookie safety Brian Branch also exited the game due to a wrist injury, but he came back to finish it.

In the future, Campbell hinted, he might decide to rest players near the end of the season as opposed to using them in a Week 18 match.

“I don’t think there’s any right or wrong answer,” he stated. “You do the best you can with what you have on the roster and who’s hurt, who’s not, who needs a rest.”