When the Detroit Lions open the playoffs next week, they likely will be without their second-leading receiver and best punt returner.
Lions coach Dan Campbell said the left knee injury tight end Sam LaPorta suffered in Sunday’s regular season-ending 30-20 win over the Minnesota Vikings was “not as bad as it looked, but it’s not good news.”
“We’ll know more tomorrow,” Campbell said. “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.”
LaPorta was injured with 1:55 left in the first half, when his leg bent awkwardly as he was tackled to the ground by Josh Metellus after a short catch.
LaPorta, who finished the regular season with 86 catches for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns, limped gingerly to the sideline after the play and underwent further examination under the blue medical tent on the sideline before riding a cart to the locker room.
Punt returner Kalif Raymond also suffered a left knee injury after a 9-yard reception early in the fourth quarter that projects to keep him out of next week’s playoff opener. Raymond was playing an expanded role on offense after Lions leading receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown left briefly with a rib injury.
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