 LaPorta with theIowa Hawkeyes in 2021 | |||||||||
| No. 87 – Detroit Lions | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Tight end | ||||||||
| Roster status |  Injured reserve | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | (2001-01-12)January 12, 2001 (age 24) Highland, Illinois, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||
| Weight | 245 lb (111 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Highland | ||||||||
| College | Iowa (2019–2022) | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 2023: 2nd round, 34th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
NFL record
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| Career NFL statistics as of Week 10, 2025 | |||||||||
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Samuel Joseph LaPorta (born January 12, 2001) is an American professionalfootballtight end for theDetroit Lions of theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theIowa Hawkeyes and was named theBig Ten Tight End of the Year in 2022. He was selected by the Lions in the second round of the2023 NFL draft. As a rookie, LaPorta was named asecond-team All-Pro and voted to thePro Bowl. He also broke the NFL record for receptions by a rookie tight end (since broken by2024 rookieBrock Bowers), along with setting Detroit franchise records for receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns by a tight end.
LaPorta attendedHighland High School in Illinois.[1][2][3] He playedwide receiver anddefensive back in high school. During his career he had 3,793 receiving yards and 50touchdowns. LaPorta committed to theUniversity of Iowa to playcollege football.[4][5]
LaPorta entered his freshman season in2019 behind Nate Wieting and Shaun Beyer in the depth chart.[6] In Week 8 againstNorthwestern, LaPorta caught his first two career passes for 43 yards in a 20–0 win.[7] In 2019, LaPorta played in 12 games with two starts and had 15receptions for 188 yards.[8][9]
As a sophomore in2020, LaPorta split starting duties with Beyer for the second year in a row. AgainstPurdue, LaPorta had a career-high 71 receiving yards on five receptions in a 24–20 loss.[2] He caught his first career touchdown againstIllinois while having four receptions for 57 yards in a 35–21 win.[10] LaPorta played in eight games with five starts while recording 27 receptions for 271 yards and one touchdown.[11][12] He was also named Fourth-Team All-Big Ten Conference byPhil Steele and honorable-mention All-Big Ten by the coaches and media.[13][14]
LaPorta became the startingtight end in2021. He was placed on theMackey Award Preseason Watch List and was named Preseason Third-Team All-Big Ten byAthlon Sports andPhil Steele.[15] In their first game against rankedIndiana, LaPorta set a new career-best with 83 yards on five receptions in a 34–6 blowout win.[16] AgainstKent State, LaPorta caught a career-best seven catches while totaling 65 yards and adding a touchdown in a 30–7 win.[17] He caught another touchdown againstColorado State in a 24–14 win.[18] Against rankedKentucky in the2022 Citrus Bowl, LaPorta had his first 100-yard game with seven receptions, matching a career-high, for 122 yards and a touchdown that gave the Hawkeyes the lead. They would not hold on to win, losing 20–17.[19] LaPorta hauled in 53 passes for 670 yards and three touchdowns in 2021, all career-highs.[20][21] At the end of the season, LaPorta was named Second-Team All-Big Ten byPhil Steele, Third-Team All-Big Ten by the coaches, and honorable-mention All-Big Ten by the media.[22][23] He was also an Iowa Hawkeyes Team Hustle Award recipient.[24]
To open the2022 season, LaPorta was put on theRotary Lombardi Award and Mackey Award Preseason Watch List as well as being named Preseason Third-TeamAll-American byPhil Steele, Fourth-Team All-American by Athlon Sports, and First-Team All-Big Ten by both Steele and Athlon.[25] He was also named as one of Iowa's team captains. In a loss toIowa State, LaPorta caught a career-best eight passes for 55 yards. AgainstIllinois, he would top that total with nine receptions for 101 yards in a 9–6 loss.[26] AgainstPurdue, LaPorta caught his only touchdown of the season in a 24–3 win.[27] As true senior in 2022, Laporta had 58 catches for 657 yards. He was named Fourth-Team All-American byPhil Steele, First-Team All-Big Ten, andKwalick–Clark Tight End of the Year.[28] He finished 14th at Iowa in career receiving yards (1,786) on 153 receptions, ranking first among Iowa tight ends in catches and second in yards.
| Iowa Hawkeyes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | GP | Receiving | |||
| Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | ||
| 2019 | 12 | 15 | 188 | 12.5 | 0 |
| 2020 | 8 | 27 | 271 | 10.0 | 1 |
| 2021 | 14 | 53 | 670 | 12.6 | 3 |
| 2022 | 12 | 58 | 657 | 11.3 | 1 |
| Career | 46 | 153 | 1,786 | 11.7 | 5 |
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft3+1⁄4 in (1.91 m) | 245 lb (111 kg) | 32+1⁄8 in (0.82 m) | 10+1⁄4 in (0.26 m) | 4.59 s | 1.59 s | 2.61 s | 4.25 s | 6.91 s | 35.0 in (0.89 m) | 10 ft 3 in (3.12 m) | 16 reps | |
| Sources:[29][30] | ||||||||||||
TheDetroit Lions selected LaPorta with the 34th overall pick in the second round of the2023 NFL draft.[31]
On September 24, 2023, LaPorta became the first tight end to tally five receptions in each of his first three games as well as having the most receptions by a tight end in that stretch with 18.[32] He also caught his first career touchdown pass on a 45-yard catch-and-run fromJared Goff.[33] The Lions would end up beating theAtlanta Falcons, 20–6.[34] With his four receptions in Week 4 against theGreen Bay Packers, LaPorta broke the record for receptions by a tight end in their first four games with 22.[35] A week later in Week 5 against theCarolina Panthers, LaPorta caught a pair of touchdowns for the first multi-touchdown game of his career while also having three receptions for 47 yards. The Lions would win, 42–24.[36]
In Week 8, LaPorta broke the Lions' franchise record for receptions by a rookie tight end with 43, breakingCharlie Sanders' record of 40 that he set in1968.[37] During the game, he caught eight passes for 57 yards and a touchdown in the 26–14 win over theLas Vegas Raiders.[38] In the Lions' 22–29 loss to the Packers onThanksgiving, LaPorta broke Sanders' franchise record of 533 yards by a rookie tight end when he had five catches for 47 yards and a touchdown.[39] In Week 13, LaPorta broke the franchise record for receiving yards by a rookie tight end in a single game with 140 yards and a touchdown on nine receptions.[40] The Lions would beat theNew Orleans Saints, 33–28.[41] He was namedPepsi NFL Rookie of the Week for his performance.[42]
In the Lions' Week 15 win over theDenver Broncos, LaPorta became the first rookie tight end sinceJeremy Shockey in 2002 to record 70 receptions in a season while also becoming the first rookie tight end sinceJoseph Fauria in 2013 to record three receiving touchdowns in a single game.[43] He was recognized again as the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week for the second time in three weeks.[44] In Week 18 against theMinnesota Vikings, LaPorta broke the single-season rookie tight end record for receptions with 82. It also came on his 10th touchdown of the season.[45] LaPorta also left the game early after hyperextending his knee.[46] After finishing the season with 86 receptions, 889 yards, and a tight end leading 10 touchdowns, LaPorta was named to the2024 Pro Bowl Games.[47][48] He was also selected as a Second-teamAll-Pro by theAssociated Press.[49] LaPorta was also named a finalist for thePepsi Zero Sugar NFL Rookie of the Year Award.[50]
LaPorta set many Lions records during his rookie season. He set new records for receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns by a tight end overall. All of which were also the Lions' rookie tight end records. His 10 receiving touchdowns were also the record for Lions rookies overall. He was anOffensive Rookie of the Year finalist.[51] He was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team.[52]
In his first postseason game, LaPorta scored a receiving touchdown in theWild Card Round win over the Rams.[53] He was ranked 80th by his fellow players on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2024.[54]
In the 2024 season, LaPorta finished with 60 receptions for 726 yards and seven touchdowns.[55] He scored a receiving touchdown in the Lions'Divisional Round loss to theWashington Commanders.[56] While his production dropped from his first season, LaPorta nonetheless joinedMike Ditka,Rob Gronkowski, andJimmy Graham as only the fourth tight end in NFL history to log 1,500 receiving yards and 15 receiving touchdowns in his first two seasons.[57] He was ranked 94th by his fellow players on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2025.[58]
LaPorta began the 2025 season as Detroit's starting tight end, and recorded 489 yards and three touchdowns over the team's first nine games. After suffering a back injury in Week 10 against theWashington Commanders, LaPorta was placed oninjured reserve on November 15, 2025.[59]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Lions franchise record (for tight ends) | |
| Led the league (for tight ends) | |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | Rushing | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2023 | DET | 17 | 14 | 86 | 889 | 10.3 | 48 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | DET | 16 | 16 | 60 | 726 | 12.1 | 52 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 33 | 30 | 146 | 1,615 | 11.1 | 52 | 17 | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | Fumbles | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2023 | DET | 3 | 3 | 21 | 176 | 8.4 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | DET | 1 | 1 | 6 | 51 | 8.5 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 4 | 4 | 27 | 227 | 8.4 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
