Lions Place Sam LaPorta On IR: How It Affects Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs And Co.

The Detroit Lions have placed star tight end Sam LaPorta on IR. How does it affect the likes of Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs and the rest of Detroit's offense?

Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta (87) makes a catch against Minnesota Vikings during the first half at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, November 2, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Detroit Lions suffered a major loss ahead of their Week 11 matchup versus the Philadelphia Eagles. Earlier this week, star tight end Sam LaPorta was ruled out due to a back injury, a situation that was worse than originally feared. 

On Friday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed that the Lions designated LaPorta to injured reserve ahead of their Week 11 clash against the reigning Super Bowl champs. The star tight end will miss at least three games, in addition to Sunday’s absence against Philadelphia. The move will be a notable blow for an explosive Lions offense that has relied on his efforts so far this season. 

Entering Week 11, LaPorta ranks second in receiving among Detroit’s group of pass-catchers, hauling in 40 of his 49 targets for 489 yards and three touchdowns. In fantasy, LaPorta has been one of the top tight ends in the NFL this season, ranking eighth among the position group in fantasy production among PPR leagues. 

His absence will prove crucial in fantasy, as well. Sunday will mark the first game LaPorta will miss this season, coming off a 10.3-PPR point performance in Week 10. Here is a fantasy football outlook for the remainder of Detroit’s offense as it prepares to operate without its star tight end: 

How Will Sam LaPorta’s Absence Affect Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams? 

Nov 9, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (0) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the second quarter against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium. | Peter Casey-Imagn Images

Detroit’s offense will miss LaPorta’s contributions over the next four games, given his vast role in the passing game. In his extended absence, Jameson Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown will likely see a notable leap in volume as the two premier threats in an efficient Lions passing attack. 

Behind them, star running back Jahmyr Gibbs could see greater volume in the passing game as Jared Goff’s primary safety valve without LaPorta. Gibbs is coming off a stellar 38.2-PPR point effort in Week 10, finding the end zone twice on the ground and once through the air, racking up 172 yards from scrimmage over 18 touches. 

Gibbs enters Week 11 as Detroit’s fourth-leading receiver behind St. Brown, LaPorta and Williams, and is likely to build on his 25.2 receiving yards per game. St. Brown has remained largely consistent throughout the season, eclipsing 16.0 PPR points in eight of his nine games this season. He comes into Sunday’s game ranked as WR3 in fantasy among PPR leagues, and WR2 in non-PPR leagues. 

Veteran tight end Brock Wright is set to take over as the TE1 with LaPorta sidelined. The fifth-year Notre Dame product has caught nine passes for 71 yards and two touchdowns so far this season.