One overlooked number gives the Lions a huge advantage in Sam LaPorta contract talks
LaPorta has already proved he’s an elite tight end. A remarkably manageable 2027 option means Detroit can spend this season evaluating something else.
The Detroit Lions are going to have to make a Sam LaPorta decision relatively soon. At some point, that conversation is coming. And when it does, LaPorta is going to have a strong case to get paid. He’s already been one of the best tight ends in football. He came into the league and immediately became a major piece for this offense, made a Pro Bowl as a rookie, and scored 20 touchdowns in his first three seasons.
So this isn’t really a conversation about whether LaPorta is good enough to get a big contract, because he is. The real question here is about timing, and I don’t think the Lions have any reason whatsoever to rush into that deal. In fact, I think Detroit has pretty much all the leverage.
Lions general manager Brad Holmes spoke to the media on Wednesday and said the goal was still to get both LaPorta and safety Brian Branch paid, but that there were still some factors the team needed to work through. A couple of those factors jump out to me and really point to why Detroit is in such a strong position.
The franchise tag changes everything
I don’t think people realize just how favorable this situation is for the Lions. The projected franchise tag for tight ends in 2027 is around $17.5 million. Think about that for a second. The top of the tight end market is already right around $19 million per year. George Kittle is at $19.1 million per year. Trey McBride is right around $19 million.
If LaPorta comes to the Lions and says he wants to reset the market at $20 million or $21 million per year, Detroit doesn’t have to panic. They don’t have to say, “Well, if we don’t give him this contract right now, we’re going to lose him.” That’s just not where they are. If the Lions get through this season without a long-term deal, they could franchise tag him for around $17.5 million. And if they really wanted to, they could tag him again the following year. The second tag would cost about $21 million. So the Lions have the ability to keep LaPorta under team control for multiple years without giving him the kind of massive long-term guarantees that come with an extension. That’s a huge advantage for Detroit.
I’m not saying they should franchise tag LaPorta twice and make this ugly. That’s not really how Holmes has operated with his core players. Holmes has never used the franchise tag. Not once. The Lions have shown that when they identify somebody as part of their long-term future, they’re willing to pay them. They paid Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Penei Sewell. They’ve taken care of their guys. So I would still expect the Lions want to get something done with LaPorta eventually, just as Holmes mentioned on Wednesday.
LaPorta’s back is the other factor
But here’s the thing. Wanting to keep a player and needing to pay him right now are two different things. That’s where LaPorta’s back comes into this.
LaPorta missed the final eight games of last season after suffering a herniated disc that required surgery. He was back on the field for training camp and was a full participant. Everything we’ve seen and heard from the Lions has been positive. I saw LaPorta this summer at training camp. He looked fine. I don’t think there’s anything necessarily to worry about here. That’s why I’m not sitting here telling you LaPorta has a bad back and the Lions should be scared of him. It’s not what this is.
What I’m saying is that back injuries are serious. When you’re talking about handing somebody tens of millions of dollars in guaranteed money, the Lions have the luxury of seeing how that back responds over an NFL season. That’s a massive difference. LaPorta doesn’t really need to prove to the Lions that he’s a good football player. They already know that. He’s already shown it. What he does have to prove this year is that his back can hold up. Can he play 16, 17 games? Can he take the hits? Can he block defensive ends? Can he get tackled across the middle 70 or 80 times and still be standing in December and January?
There’s a big difference between being healthy in July and August and showing that your body held up over an entire NFL season. And the Lions don’t have to guess. They can wait.
What happens from here
If LaPorta goes out there this year and looks exactly like the guy we saw early in his career, stays healthy, plays the whole season, puts up another huge year, great. He’s probably earned every dollar he’s asking for. At that point, the Lions are probably going to be completely comfortable handing him one of the biggest tight end contracts in the NFL. And if you don’t think LaPorta could go out and have a massive season and become the highest-paid tight end in the league, you’re crazy.
But if his back becomes an issue again, Detroit hasn’t already locked itself into $40 million or $50 million in guarantees. That’s why the leverage in these negotiations is heavily tilted toward the Lions right now.
The franchise tag for tight ends is just low compared to the value of a truly elite player at the position. This isn’t like a quarterback where the tag is going to cost some ridiculous amount of money. If the Lions tag LaPorta in 2027, they’d essentially be paying him slightly below the current top of the tight end market. That’s not a devastating number for Detroit. It’s actually manageable. LaPorta’s camp can’t really use the threat of free agency against the Lions here. They can’t say, “You better pay us because we’ll just hit the market next March.” The Lions could stop that. That’s the entire purpose of the tag.
Let’s lay out a scenario. LaPorta comes out, plays 14 games, looks really good, but maybe in the middle of the season he has a little injury scare, has to miss a few games. The Lions feel good about him but are still leery about offering a giant contract right now. They can hit him with that franchise tag, bring him back in 2027 making almost $18 million, and say, “Show us you can do it again, and then we’ll hit you with the big contract.” I think that’s safe for everyone.
I don’t think LaPorta hits free agency next March. You probably shouldn’t even have to worry about that. But I am curious how the Lions keep him away from it. Is it going to be the franchise tag? Or is it going to be a massive contract? That’s a huge thing to watch this year.
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