Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta tried to walk back his pointed comments from earlier this week about his lack of a contract extension.
"I feel bad if there was any sort of distraction to the team or my teammates or the coaches, but I think there was maybe a misconception with ... My intentions are I want to play for this team," LaPorta said Friday, according to Nick Shook of NFL.com. "I give everything I have. My teammates do, as well. They all love me, respect me and support me, and they want to see me be happy and be compensated."
LaPorta made waves during an appearance on the "Pardon My Take" podcast Wednesday with his frank commentary about negotiations. The 25-year-old called the lack of an extension "disappointing," adding that "I break my f-----g back for the team ... and maybe they're just not showing the love."
LaPorta, an impending free agent, explained that he and his family still want to stay in Detroit. There's just an urgency for him behind an extension in order to gain some off-field stability with a child on the way.
"I guess I wouldn't expect anybody else to really even care, but emotionally for me and my family, it's an important thing for us," LaPorta explained. "... In the coming months, we're gonna have our first kid, me and my wife. We're gonna welcome our baby girl into the world in metro Detroit. We want to be here with the Lions.
"I guess I'm getting emotional about it, but in the grand scheme of things, it's really a business. You have to respect what the front office is doing because they're the ones calling the shots. They're the ones that brought me in. This is my first team. They've been nothing short of supportive of me and my career."
Head coach Dan Campbell expressed his continued support for LaPorta on Friday. However, when asked about LaPorta's comments, Campbell refused to answer the question and abruptly ended his press conference.
"I said I didn't want it to be a distraction." 😬 Dan Campbell was asked about Sam LaPorta's comments about a contract extension and walked off to end his press conference 😳 https://t.co/5pZGciKEZr
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) October 23, 2026
LaPorta has started all five of Detroit's games this season, hauling in 316 yards and three touchdowns on 27 receptions. The 2023 second-round pick was named to the Pro Bowl in his rookie campaign, but was limited to nine games last year because of a back injury.
