Lions Pro Bowl TE Sam LaPorta carted off with reported hyperextended knee vs. Vikings

Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta left Sunday's 30-20 victory against the Minnesota Vikings on a cart with a knee injury in a potentially significant blow with the postseason looming.

LaPorta suffered the injury late in the second quarter with Detroit leading, 13-3. He caught a pass from Jared Goff, and his left foot planted into the turf on a tackle. His left knee buckled on the play, and he remained down on the turf for several moments after the tackle.

LaPorta eventually limped off the field on his own before walking gingerly down the Detroit sideline. Moments later, he left the sideline on a cart to the Lions' locker room. The Lions initially listed him as questionable with a knee injury before ruling him out early in the third quarter.

LaPorta reportedly has hyperextension, bone bruise

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported postgame that an MRI revealed a hyperextended knee and bone bruise and that LaPorta will "likely miss some time."

The Lions didn't offer a precise prognosis, but head coach Dan Campbell acknowledged that "it's not good news."

"The best way I can put it is, it's probably not as bad as it looked. But it's not good news," Campball said. "We'll know more tomorrow. I know it looked awful. It's not as bad as that. But it doesn't mean that it looks good in the immediate here to have him for a game."

The injury puts LaPorta's postseason status in jeopardy with the Lions slated for a playoff game next weekend.

Was playing starters worth the risk for Lions?

LaPorta and other Lions starters played on Sunday with Detroit having already clinched a playoff berth and facing an outside chance of improving its postseason standing. The Lions entered Sunday having clinched no worse than the No. 3 seed in the NFC. With a win and losses later in the day by both the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles, the Lions could have moved up to the No. 2 seed, a position that would earn a second postseason home game in the event they'd advance to the divisional round.

The decision to play starters, of course, invites the risk of injury to key players. LaPorta would be a big loss if he was sidelined in the postseason.

The Lions also lost their other 2023 second-round draft pick, defensive back Brian Branch, to a wrist injury. They listed him as questionable to return in the second half.

As a rookie, LaPorta's emerged as one of the best pass-catching tight ends in football. He earned a Pro Bowl nod and broke Keith Jackson's record for most receptions by a rookie at the position.

Veteran Brock Wright is next up at tight end on Detroit's depth chart. He'd caught 13 passes for 91 yards and a touchdown heading into Week 18, but has been sidelined with his own hip injury since Week 15.