Is Sam LaPorta injured? Detroit Lions TE scoreless in 1st half against Bucs

The Detroit Lions have arguably the best young tight end in the NFL in Sam LaPorta, who played sensationally in his historic rookie season. However, he got off to a very slow start in Week 2’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

LaPorta failed to make a catch in the first half of the game and was targeted just once. His slow start follows a relatively quiet performance in Week 1 against the Los Angeles Rams.

At the time of this writing, LaPorta is healthy and on the field, so his quiet performance in the first two quarters is not due to injury. The Bucs are defending him well, but it doesn’t help that wide receiver Jameson Williams has emerged as quarterback Jared Goff’s preferred option.

We wouldn’t panic about LaPorta just yet. It’s way too early in the season to be worried about the rising star tight end.