Dan Campbell’s response to Sam LaPorta’s contract comments should calm Lions fans down a little
LaPorta’s comments were the strongest public sign yet of his frustration with Detroit’s stalled contract talks, but Campbell made it clear Friday that he isn’t treating them as a distraction or a sign that the relationship is broken.
There’s been a little drama in Detroit Lions land this week after tight end Sam LaPorta went on the Pardon My Take podcast and had some big things to say about how he feels about not getting a deal done with the Lions.
“I think the combination of getting your heartstrings twisted as well as the violent sport we play, it sucks. It’s disappointing that you go out there every week and you bear the risk of getting hurt. Like last year, whatever it was, Week 9, Week 10, I break my fucking back for this team, and then I’m going out there this year and I’m balling, and maybe they’re just not showing the love,” LaPorta said. “So I’m going to continue to do my thing and ball out, and in three months if I don’t get to wear the Honolulu Blue and play for the Lions anymore, it’s going to be all good. I’ll go get paid somewhere else. So, whatever.”
It was a big deal for fans to hear this, and it was really the first time that we’ve seen anything like this from a Lions player. Especially during the Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell era. Speaking of Campbell, he was asked about LaPorta’s comments on Friday and didn’t seem to be concerned about it all.
Dan Campbell on Sam LaPorta’s comments
“Listen, all this stuff, man, I know what it may appear like. I know Sam. We all know Sam. And you know, I honestly, I don’t even think twice about those comments because I know what he’s about, man. And we’re all good here, and we’re not going to let this be a distraction. He’s not. We’re not. We’re all good.” Campbell said.
He went on to double down on that sentiment and even open up a little about how he feels about money and football mingling together.
“Things happen, man and there’s always going to look, I’ve said things that I regret rarely, but sometimes it happens (this was a joke) Okay, and sometimes you get in these spots, and you’re in a setting that feels a little bit more or whatever, and but it’s all good. It doesn’t mean that’s who the person is. You say something; it’s sometimes you get something off your chest, and but yeah, we pick the guys we pick for a reason because we know their character and we know what they’re about deep down, and you know so listen, man, Sam’s a stud, all right, and he’s gonna help us win games. And he really is. He’s an unselfish teammate. He’s an unselfish player, and listen, man, sometimes things happen. Things get said. It’s all good, man. And you can never take anything personal when you start talking about business. That’s why business and footballl, they don’t belong with each other, but it’s the world we’re in, and it makes the world go round for all of us.”
There likely isn’t any reason to truly worry if you’re a Lions fan
At the end of the day, I know fans want to freak out about it and worry that their team might lose one of the best tight ends in football, but I’ll tell you the same thing I’ve felt since the moment the comments aired. I don’t think LaPorta is ultimately going anywhere. I think they’ll come to terms on what we think LaPorta wants from the Lions.
While this is something that we haven’t seen around here often, it’s something that happens in the NFL constantly, as we’ve seen recently with the Pistons and Jalen Duren; these things get solved more often than not, even though they seem unsolvable. For what it’s worth, the thing with LaPorta is not even in the same league as the deal with Duren.
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