Sam LaPorta ‘Going To Be A Good Player For A Long Time’

Detroit Lions rookie TE Sam LaPorta isn’t getting ‘caught up’ in the praise following his career day against the Saints.

Sam LaPorta finished with 140 yards receiving on nine catches and a touchdown in Sunday’s 33-28 win. In doing so he made history and drew praise from teammates and opponents alike.

Sam LaPorta is the second rookie TE to have over 140 yards and one plus receiving touchdowns in a game. His 140 yards against the Saints were the most by a Lions rookie tight end in franchise history. 

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LaPorta has 6 receiving touchdowns this season, tied for most in the league for a TE with Mark Andrews. Only Travis Kelce has matched his 140-yard and receiving touchdown game this season. Lions quarterback Jared Goff named LaPorta as one of his most trusted targets after the game.

“Yeah, (I’m) as comfortable (with him) as anyone I’ve played with,” said Goff. 

“And for a rookie, that’s pretty tremendous. I’d compare it directly to what Saint (Amon-Ra St. Brown) was doing as a rookie, as far as on the field and off the field and the type of pro he is, knowing his assignments. He rarely has a (missed assignment), rarely has that type of rookie mistake. Very rarely. He’s such a reliable guy and a guy that I count on in those crunch times. I know he’s a clutch player.”

“Well, he’s going to be a good player. I told him that after the game,” Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu said. 

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“Just crafty for a rookie, man. The kind of routes he runs, his frame, his length, and then obviously, anytime you and the quarterback are on the same page, they’re going to come away with some plays. I thought he probably had two of the more clutch plays in this game. So there were a few third downs in there. We had everybody covered, and then he just put the ball on his body, not his first down. So we just got to do a better job in the back end of just challenging guys, understanding their route tree, what to expect. But nevertheless, man, he’s going to be a good player for a long time.”